


After the War

by Readytojump



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Also Medoh!, Champions Live AU, Character Study, Father-Son Relationship, Ganon - Freeform, Ganon coming back without an invitation, Gen, Gotta have some of that Vah Medoh, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Lets see what other tags, Major Character Injury, Mind Control, Revali being an arrogant asshole, Revali is not okay, Revali needs a hug, Teba being the exhausted dad, Teba is also. Not okay., Teba is dad, Teba is everyone's dad, These characters are going to be the death of me, Torture, We love her, a whole whopping ton of hurt/comfort, an actual plot canyoubelieveit, as in, but also others, but we all love him for it, dear Hylia someone hug him, ho boy here we go, like how rude can you get, nobody in this goddamn story is okay, of Revali of course, resurrection AU, there is now something kind of like torture in here, where the champions come back after the defeat of Ganon!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-01-01 13:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 74,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18335261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readytojump/pseuds/Readytojump
Summary: Nobody expected it.They were thought dead after all.But upon the exact moment Ganon let out his final scream, disappearing from the world, the very last tendrils of his magic slipped silently out of the Divine Beasts and dispersed into nothing.And with that, the Champions were all resurrected into life once more.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. First of all, I would like to note that I think it is possible for the way some characters/towns/races are depicted in Breath of the Wild to be seen as cultural appropriation/insensitivity. I have exactly zero credibility in this situation. I condemn any kind of cultural appropriation and anything that could possibly offend someone; I promise I only write this piece because I like the characters and story. If anyone would like me to take this piece down for whatever reason, I will absolutely oblige. I hope my writing of this does not harm or offend anyone and if it does, you have my sincerest apologies and, as said, I will take it down.
> 
> Now, I hope that anyone reading this can enjoy this fic. It's really just a stupid little idea I had because I can't f*cking get enough of father-son relationships and I most DEFINITELY cannot f*cking get enough of that arrogant asshole Revali and not to even mention Teba the dad friend with the dad voice.
> 
> For this fic, I was inspired by several posts (and a reaction to one) on Tumblr. One of them spoke specifically of what Teba's reaction might be to finding out how young Revali was (and is) as many people have speculated that Revali is in fact quite young. If you'd like to see the posts for yourself I'll gladly direct you to them.
> 
> Updates will be whenever I can upload new work, I promise.
> 
> This is an intro - the next chapter is longer.
> 
> Enjoy.

    It had always been him.

 

    Always.

 

    Since that day long ago he had first heard the story of the great Rito Warrior, he knew, even as a fledgling, that he would be destined to train as hard and as long as it would take to live up to Master Revali.

    Or rather, as close to Master Revali as one could realistically get, because as it turned out, achieving what the Champion had, with his feats told through bedtime stories, very quickly revealed itself as a truly impossible task.

 

    In terms of physical accomplishments, here was what Teba knew: Master Revali had risen to becoming the most accurate archer in all of Rito history at a “young age.” (This part had always been left ambiguous, and, as a child, it had bothered Teba that he could not know more about the timespan of this Rito’s earlier life; he wanted to align himself with the warrior as much as possible while growing up.) Then, soon after, his velocity in flying overtook that of any previous record holder, and with the two talents combined, he was titled as the most powerful Rito warrior to exist in his time. But still Master Revali climbed higher. This Rito mastered the skies in a way unlike any before him. The stories went that he was so in touch with the dance of the air, so in tune with the sky and its constantly changing breath, that he could call all the winds directly to him in a connection that went beyond any known science or magic, and the winds would lift him straight up into the air like an arrow shot towards the heavens. It was with this unprecedented ability that he rose to the clouds and fought from up there, his bow singing and his arrows flying in a storm of deadly precision.

    Now, this alone was enough to collect all of a young Teba’s admiration like a magnet, but there was one thing more that had Teba refusing to step off the path to become as much like Master Revali as he could, and that was this:

    Master Revali protected Rito Village with everything he had.

    No matter the cost, Master Revali made sure their home was as safe as it could be. There was an abundance of stories of the Warrior fighting off evil from their home; tale upon tale of Revali defending the village, the Rito, the natural beauty of the land from monsters and malevolent magic alike (many a group of Diren would often make their explosively armed attacks near Lake Totori in the interest of drilling up the diamond and opal that the surrounding mountains were rich with. Revali, always ready with the bow that towered over him when upright, would battle them off time and time again to preserve the resplendence of their home. His efforts were even today very much visible.)

    So it had always been him.

    Master Revali had always been whom Teba had looked up to in his most agonizing times of training to be a Rito Warrior, to just make it to passing that final test that would grant him the official title. When he was raging with himself for hitting forty three targets out of fifty, he would remind himself that Master Revali could not have gotten where he did without this exact training and patience. When he fought off monsters from the village and the foul things managed to find a way in nonetheless, he forced himself to focus on figuring out a way have that vulnerable area covered while still keeping watch over the other entrances instead of throwing down his bow in frustration. The former, he would remind himself, was what Master Revali would have done. And truthfully, Teba was grateful for the idol. It kept his hot head in line and for that, the village was safer.

 

* * *

 

 

100 years ago

 

    Revali knew two things:

 

    One, they had abandoned him.

 

    And two, he had to prove them wrong.

 

    He _had_ to. There was no other choice in the world but to show them how wrong they had been to doubt him, to call him worthless, to turn away.

    The thought of just their faces made his chest burn and his breath catch in his throat.

    Revali didn’t remember when it had started. He supposed it was possible that in fact there was no exact start, that his father had always been the way he was. And his mother was no different.

    “Revali, don’t,” they had said, glares deepening. “Revali, you’ll never make it.”

    His father, Tromane, was an ocean green Rito, and at one point, or so the stories went, his looks and skill with a bow earned him a cozy spot among the ladies. He had once wanted to be a Rito Warrior, and dedicated himself to training for it his entire life, only to fail, horribly, and in front of the entire village, at the final deciding test. A mass of oozing discouragement had overtaken him for a long while after that, and by the time he had found his motivation again, years later, he was too old to have a chance at any test.

    Bitterness manifested in him like mold in dark caves.

    His mother, Delrise, was born to, at the time, the most skilled archer in all of Rito village in an age where the competition was higher than it had ever been. She was raised with expectations higher than the sun, but in all truth, she had never wanted to shoot a single arrow. Delrise knew, always knew, that she was tailor at heart, and wanted nothing more than to create beauty in the self expression of wearing bright colors and armor. When she tried to tell her mother and father what she wanted to do with her life, a bow was forced roughly into her little wings and she was told to “shoot like I taught you, Delrise, I won’t have a damn _tailor_ for a daughter.”

    Delrise never touched a needle again. When she stepped up for her final competition, her aim shook too much to hit anywhere remotely near her target, and failure claimed her career as a warrior. Her parents couldn’t look her in the eye.

    Shame and self hatred spread through her heart like a fire through dry leaves.

    Tromane and Delrise met at a time when they were both furious at the world; they licked each other’s wounds and became bitter together, thus resulting in an imagined romance and succeeding empty marriage.

    Needless to say, it was not the best environment in which to raise a fledgling.

    Revali was born with the wind beneath his wings. That’s what the elder used to say whenever Revali visited him. Since the day he could first find his footing in gliding on the winds (achieved at so early an age, it had been the talk of the village), he was off. There was no talking him down from the air; he shot through the breezy currents with unwavering speed and energy that simply would not deplete. By the age of four, he spent more time in the skies around Rito Village (and often beyond, despite the rules) than he did on the ground. Revali loved it, more than anything else in the world. He loved the way it made him feel; when he was in the air, he was free. The wind brushed coolly against his face and ruffled under his wings so as to make him laugh it tickled so. The world was below and before him, and a surge of excitement would always rush through him as he fantasized about adventures in the lands beyond.

    When he discovered the option of becoming a warrior, a fighter who would protect his beloved home from the constant harm of Ganon and monsters, he dreamed of nothing else. From the moment he woke up to the time his aching body forced him to sleep, he trained. Archery required accuracy in aim, in gauging gravity of the arrow, and in techniques of drawing, holding, and knocking. Flying required excelling performance in speed, the twisting of his body, the readings of wind power, and stamina. Combining the two required a whole new level of skills that needed to work off one another during battle without a moment to think. Revali swore to master these; the dream of being a Rito Warrior never ceased in its glamour, and his decision was made. And once the stubborn head of his had made a decision, there wasn’t a thing in all of Hyrule that could change his mind.

    He came home, several weeks after that first day of learning about the warriors, and declared to his parents that he would be the best warrior that ever protected Rito Village.

    His parents shared one look and told him, in flat unison, “No, Revali.”

    It felt as though a stone had dropped down his esophagus, blocking his oxygen supply.

    “What?”

    “Revali, you’ll never be a warrior.” His father, looming over him with stormy eyes, spat the last word like it tasted vile on his tongue.

    Revali tucked the little oak bow he had made out of a curved stick earlier further behind his back. He had planned to show them, but now…

    “Your father’s right.” His mother hardly looked up at him. Sitting slumped in her chair, she gazed absently at the fire pit in the middle of the floor “You’re not good enough for it.”

    “And you’d certainly never be the _best_.” Tromane peered behind his young son. “What do you have?”

    It wasn’t the kind of question that invited you to share your new passion. It was the kind that shot tremors down your spine and made you rack your brain for a lie, an excuse.

    But Revali blanked in the face of that glare and fell back on “Nothing!” while taking a step back.

    But his father was having none of it. In one move, he swooped down and snatched the makeshift bow from his son, gave it a look of disgust, and snapped it clean in half. Behind Tromane, his mother continued to stare with dead eyes.

    Revali gaped, wondering if, judging by the pain, snapping the bow had somehow snapped his heart as well.

    “Revali, you’ll _never_ make it.”

    That night he cried himself to sleep.

    But when he woke the next morning, something stirred inside his chest. Something hot and uncomfortable and tugging but so utterly _alive_ with _power_. That something caused him to dash back to the base of the Hebra Mountains where he practiced, pick up the nearest bow, and shoot.

    Shoot arrow after arrow after arrow into the icy makeshift targets from a rapidly dwindling supply. And when the arrows were all gone, he swooped down to retrieve them, brought them back up, and started all over again. He did this for hours on end, and even stayed through night, sleep not even crossing his racing mind, and into the next day, not going home for food or rest. He would _not_ rest until every arrow had hit a target in one round. It took him another several hours and only then, when they were all bullseye shots did he hop down and fly back home.

    They had said he would never make it. Well, he’d show them. He made himself a promise that not only would he pass the test of becoming a warrior, he would be the best. The best out of _everyone_. He would make sure that there was no better aerial archer in all of Hyrule. He would prove them wrong, and when he did, maybe then they would love him. So he had to be the best. He _had_ to be.

    The next few years were hell.

    “Hell” consisted of his mother’s constant yelling that he was not enough, that she was ashamed to have a failure for a son.

    “Your dream of becoming a warrior is like a child’s attempt at ridding Hyrule of Ganon!” And Revali could not block out her words. “There is no success where there was never a chance. Put down the bow.”

    It consisted of his father drilling into his head that there wasn’t a chance he’d ever claim the title he so desperately fought for, petty competition lacing his words.

    “You think you have what it takes to protect this village? Phah! I’ve seen better candidates in squirrels! Those wings couldn’t save a bug.”

    It consisted of his parents’ quiet, fuming disappointment whenever he was in the room, of exasperated looks when he picked up his bow, of cold shoulders and many nights spent alone at the mountain base.

    Each day he returned there, convincing himself that if he was just better, he’d have their respect. If he was just stronger, he’d be worth a “good job, son.” And each day he’d fly back home to be met with a sigh and a “you’re late. Hurry up with your chores,” with a scowl towards the bow in his wing.

    This continued up until the day Tromane and Delrise simply… disappeared. Without any message or trace, they were suddenly gone one day and they never came back. No one in the village could quite put their feathers on why, but Revali knew. He’d always known, perhaps in the back of his mind, that this day was coming. Two miserable people can only live with their _failure_ of a son for so long.

    It stung beyond the description of words. The burning _something_ in his chest festered and grew with a ferocious flame to feed it, spreading through his whole body.

    These years of training to be _better, better, better_ crafted who Revali would define himself by.

    Alone.

    And angry.

    And _burning_ with the desire to impress, to be the best, to be _worthy_.

    It blinded him.

    But there was nothing else in the world for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap you actually made it to the end. That makes me so happy. Seriously. Read on, dear reader. :)


	2. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "He breaks the rocks that serve to bind,
> 
> Above the tempestuous bay.
> 
> On wings of cloth and wood entwined,
> 
> He lands on the altar to open the way."

    Nobody expected it.

    They were thought _dead_ after all.

    But upon the exact moment Ganon let out his final scream, disappearing from the world, the very last tendrils of his magic slipped silently out of the Divine Beasts and dispersed into nothing.

    And with that, the Champions were all resurrected into life once more.

    They had, as they would later tell the world, never actually been killed, not exactly. Each of their fateful fights with the Ganon Blights, what had been assumed were life taking battles, turned out to be nothing more than a ploy to get the Champions trapped in a room on board the Divine Beast in order to have the spells that would capture their spirits cast.

    Ganon, for all his power, still needed the life of all four Champions to power the Beasts, and bound them into what might have been eternal limbo of being not quite dead and not quite alive, had Link not taken down the heinous force at the final battle of Hyrule Castle.

    When Ganon was defeated, the Divine beasts began to cry out, ear shattering and blood curdling cries that shook the ground and could be heard across all corners of Hyrule. The last of the magenta light that had been smoldered behind the Beasts’ eyes finally broke free and shot up into the sky, disappearing from sight.

    The wailing of each Beast did not cease.

    And so, partly because there were too many questions that needed answering and fears that needed quelling, and partly because nearly all the citizens of Hyrule were about to lose their minds from the constant cacophony of screeches and wailing, four separate inspection teams had been assembled to investigate the Beasts; everyone was still quite weary of another attack, despite Ganon’s defeat - you could never be too careful with a monster like him. Even after his death, the fear remained that he had somehow left part of his corrupt energy behind.

    So it was with great honor that Teba had been selected to lead the Ritos’ inspection of Vah Medoh.

    Teba, Harth, Ciera, Soryne, and Noal prepared themselves to take off from Revali’s Landing to search for the source of the Beast’s distress.

    It was known to most people who gave the Divine Beasts any attention that they were more than machines. These creations, metal and stone as they were, were also alive. Not in the traditional sense, of course, but these creatures proved to have a mind of their own, with a set of their own emotional reactions to the ways of the world. They were the ones, after all, who had sensed that each of the respective Champions was right for them, was worthy to pilot their great power. It was said that the bond between Champion and Divine Beast was not one that could easily be understood by anyone else, nor was it one to be easily shaken. It had been the Divine Beasts, it almost seemed, who had chosen their Champions, sensing something potently unique in each of them.

    And with this knowledge, that the Beasts were not pure machine or weapon, but, in a way, very much alive, Teba commanded before takeoff that all warriors be sensitive as to any reactions Vah Medoh might make when they were up in the sky.

    The rest of his team nodded vigorously. They too understood the necessity of respecting the Beast, and least of all wished to offend or upset the being that had aided Link in taking down the monstrosity plaguing their land.

    Teba smiled gratefully at them. He loved his little team of warriors with all his heart. Through countless raids of monsters and ill intentioned forces of nature and everything in between, they five protected Rito Village. They stuck together, always had each other’s backs, and never left a Rito behind. And, being the oldest of all of them, he felt a duty placed upon him to be the one who watched out for them in ways that were different from safety in battle; if one of his team was distracted with personal challenges one day, he would tell them to take the day off. If one of them fell into an episode of self doubt, of frustration, of numbness, for any reason, he’d sit down with them and have the two of them talk it out for as long as needed. He appreciated their taking on of the taxing job of protecting a major village in Hyrule at a time when monsters were more numerous than ever before, and wanted to make sure they knew they each meant more to him than a name on the list of his team. He knew they would do the same for him. Rito Warriors looked out for one another, always.

    “Get ready,” he said, spreading his wings and keeping his gaze locked onto Vah Medoh. He resisted the urge to cover his ears. The others quickly followed suit, and when Teba barked “Go!”, they all jumped off the Landing, dipping down before gradually climbing skywards. For a brief moment, Teba thought, perhaps for the hundredth time, just how impressive Master Revali’s Gale was, envying the ability to soar immediately upwards. He shook his head. Now was not the time to be distracted.

    Vah Medoh, perched on the top of Rito Village, continued in its unending cry. But as the team of Warriors came closer, close enough to see the grassy top of its back, the Beast instantly cut off the noise, and Teba could have sworn he saw it turn its head toward them just the slightest bit. Then, before the team had a chance to look at one another to trade confused expressions, Vah Medoh began to lower itself so that its back laid perfectly flat again, as it had been when it circled the in the sky far above them. When the Beast finally reached its destined angle, Teba heard Harth let out a gasp. Instantly, he turned to his friend.

    “What is it?”

    But Harth didn’t speak. Instead, with wide eyes and his beak slightly open, he pointed uncertainly at Vah Medoh’s back. As they all continued to circle the around, Teba turned his head, and when he did, he spotted someone - a Rito - lying on the Beast’s back.

    “Who in the world?” He heard himself say before he knew he was speaking. “How is that _possible_?” He made eye contact with the rest of his team. Surely he could not be the only one who knew that only the Champions could board the Divine Beasts.

    “Teba, what do we do?” Soryne's eyes flashed, and his expression told Teba - all of his team’s expressions told Teba - that they now looked to him for an answer. The oldest warrior considered the consequences of an idea he had briefly before deciding that there was only one option.

    “Stay here!” He called, and dove down to Vah Medoh’s back.

    When he got closer, Teba could see the Rito much better. This bird, decked in brilliant shining warrior armor and a royal blue plumage, laid on his side, his face hidden beneath a wing. Thankfully, Teba observed, he didn’t appear injured, simply out of it. So with as much wind power as he could muster, he swooped in and collected the Rito in his arms, making sure to not even brush against Vah Medoh. He was not sure if some steep price would have to be paid for such a bold move, and now was certainly not the time to risk it.

    When he was once again directly over empty air, he shifted the blue Rito to drape on his back before quickly spreading his wings to keep a steady flight. The others flocked to him, wide questioning eyes searching him.

    “Vah Medoh seems to have been pacified,” he called over the wind. “Let’s get back to the village. This Rito needs medical attention.”

    With four nods, the team of warriors dove down, their leader going at a slightly more gradual descent to keep his passenger in place. They landed on Revali’s Landing with practiced grace and when Teba’s talons touched the wood, he carefully slipped the Rito off his back, laying him against his bent leg with wings wrapped beneath him so that his face was visible.

    As soon Teba as got a good look at him, a hundred question flooded his head. Something was very, very wrong. If, Teba thought, by some incomprehensible turn of fate, the Champions were in fact back, Hylia knows how, it was not at all possible that this was Master Revali.

    Teba peered closer. This… this _kid_ could not have been much older than twenty years, and therefore  _not_ one of the Champions. No one in their right mind would direct someone so young to pilot such a critical instrument of war at a time when the entire fate of every citizen of Hyrule rested upon the shoulders of the princess, the knight, and the chosen four. Of that Teba was certain. And he could not for the life of him imagine someone who was truly not much older than those who would be called fledglings as able to take on a Ganon Blight. This Rito still had his fledgling marks, for Hylia’s sake.

    And so it was with immense bewilderment that he spied the telltale blue cloth wrapped around this Rito’s neck bearing Vah Medoh’s symbol, just like the one Master Revali had worn.

    Teba blinked.

    It was impossible.

    “Teba.”

    A little blearily, the leader of the warriors was able to make out someone speaking to him, though he could not hear all of the words. Quickly, he blinked again, hard, and took a deep breath before standing, bringing the limp Rito up in his arms as he did so.

    “I’ll take him to Felra at the medical center; I’ll give you all what information I can when I find out. I think… I think the rest of you should go home. It’s getting late.”

    Indeed, the sky had begun to soften into gentle coral and rose, and the temperature was on its daily evening plummet.

    Teba, Harth, Ciera, Soryne, and Noal traded good nights with one another before heading off in separate directions. Then without further ado, Teba headed up the ramps to Felra.

 

    The medical center was small, to say the least. If more than a few Ritos were injured at a time, the extras would have to be attended to in their own homes. Only three beds and several shelves of cloth wraps and antibacterial wash lined the edges of the room. But, at the end of the day, it was in an area quite separate from the rest of the village, and privacy and quiet were always appreciated in a place of healing.

    “I just don’t understand it,” Felra kept muttering to herself. Kneeling next to one of the beds, she wrung out a cloth over a bucket of water and gently draped it over the still entirely unconscious Rito’s forehead. “It’s absolutely incredible.”

    Teba, who had been leaning against the door with crossed arms, stepped closer to once again stare at this stranger.

    “I don’t understand it either,” he huffed. “Who is this and how in the name of Hylia did he manage to board Vah Medoh?” He began to pace, albeit without much leg stretching room. “Perhaps that was what set off the Beast’s shrieking in the first place? But what kind of fool would just jump onto it? And where does he come from? Why have we never seen him before?” He paused at the window and peered up at the Divine Beast. Then he remembered-

    “And just how did he get his wings on Master Revali’s scarf?” He spun around and threw an open wing at the Rito.

    Felra brushed off her violet feathers and stood to face him, her brows perched curiously on her head.

    “But… you do know that this _is_ -”

    But before she could finish, a loud knock was heard at the door. Felra and Teba turned to see the elder lean in.

    “Good evening, Teba, Felra.” He nodded at them both. “I hear we have a little phenomenon among our village this day?”

     _Harth must have told him_ , Teba thought.

    He wasted no time in answering.

    “ _Yes_ ,” the warrior leader almost bit, and then took a step backwards, a little taken aback by the impatience in his own tone. He breathed in slowly once. “Yes,” he said again. “We found this Rito on top of Vah Medoh. We have no idea who he is or why he was up there.”

    The elder stepped in, cautious eyes taking in the new Rito on the bed.

    For all the teasing of Kaneli that went around Rito Village, Teba himself found he had an unwavering respect for him. He knew the elder often gave a first impression of being oblivious and absent minded, of not taking anything too seriously. Teba, however, could see beyond this distracted exterior and was presented with a careful bird. Kaneli’s sharp eyes hid ages of wisdom behind them, and Teba witnessed the way the elder looked over every detail of the situation before them with a steady quietness. When he sensed that a certain scene was important, the elder was instantly sober and attentive, and now appeared to be one of those times.

    “I don’t believe it,” was what he finally said. He took a step back and shook his head. “Hylia above, it’s Master Revali.”

    Teba turned sharply to him. “What? No, this can’t be-”

    “Teba!”

    He spun around to the entrance to see Saki standing with a drowsy Tulin in her arms. Her eyes were narrowed and her feathers were slightly puffed.

    Oh no.

    He was in trouble.

    “Ah… excuse me.” He glanced quickly between the elder and Felra before stepping out to meet his wife. He held his wings just outside of her shoulders and scooted them away from Felra’s. They made their way out to a small grassy cliff and stopped there.

    “You weren’t going to tell me you got back?” Saki kept her voice low so as to not disturb the her son or the still close by medical center, but the the words were tight and the distress was tangible.

    Teba lowered his head but still kept eye contact. “I’m sorry, Saki. I should have told you.”

    “You went up to that damned Beast that was acting as though it was back in the hands of Ganon and I had to be told by Harth that you were all back safe.”

    Teba wondered if Harth just made his way around the village after every outing telling people what they had done.

    “Yes, Saki, you’re right. I am sorry. I promise you I’ll go straight to you next time.” He gently took ahold of one of Tulin’s wings draped over his mother’s cradled arms. The fledgling looked up sleepily and smiled. “There was just one thing I had to do first.”

    Together, they turned back to the medical center, still able to catch a glimpse of the new Rito from where they stood.

    “Who is that?” Saki whispered.

    “I still don’t have a single clue. But I’m gonna find out now.” He had almost stepped back onto the wooden ramp when a pink wing grabbed him.

    “Wait, Teba.” Saki readjusted Tulin in her grip. “It’s late. You should ask questions tomorrow and come home now.”

    Teba hesitated. The thought of dinner and a bed in his home next to his family sounded heavenly at this point, but the burning curiosity couldn’t be ignored.

    “I’ll be in in five minutes, Saki. I need to get some answers.” He waited as she nodded slowly and gave a weary smile.

    “Okay. Be home in five minutes then.” She turned to go, then stopped. “And Teba-” The Rito Warrior turned. “I am glad you’re back safe. I love you.”

    “I love you,” he immediately returned, and loved the way her feathers, after all this time, still stood on end, even if just a bit, when he said that. “I love you so much. Now go put Tulin in his bed before he falls out of your arms.” He directed a wing at the fledgling who was folded over his mother’s cradle and nearly slipping out. Saki gave a warm hearted eye roll and shifted her son before turning to go.

    Teba smiled. “And thank you,” he called out. Then, without a moment more, he walked down back into the medical center.

    Kaneli and Felra were both sitting down on stools talking in low voices. The younger Rito had still not woken when Teba knocked and entered.

    “Can you believe it?” Felra turned to Teba and gave him an astounded half smile. “Master Revali. I never thought in a million years I’d see the Champion with my own eyes but-” she let out a high note of laughter. “Oh my goodness. It’s just… an honor. To be in his presence, awake or not.”

    Teba narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. “I have to ask you though, you know that this can’t actually be-”

    But he still had yet to speak of the new Rito without being interrupted because at that moment, Tezen, Felra’s husband, slid into view at the entrance.

    “Felra!” He steadied himself against the wooden poles, slightly out of breath. “Dia says she needs you _right now_ . She won’t go to sleep without her bedtime song and she’s squawking up a storm about it. You know she won’t listen to _me_ sing.” He looked desperately at the doctor with pleading eyes.

    For her part, Felra gave an exasperated laugh and stood.

    “Elder Kaneli? Teba? Would you mind watching over our Champion for a bit while I sing my spoiled daughter to sleep?”

    The elder nodded politely, and Teba, lost in his thoughts, gave a quick belated nod as Felra stepped out and she and her husband headed back to their home.

    A beat of silence passed before Teba made up his mind and directly faced the elder.

    “We have a problem.”

    Keneli regarded him carefully. “What do you mean?”

    “This is _not_ the Rito Champion.” He glanced at the unconscious Rito and the scarf he still wore. “He’s far too young.”

    Keneli gave a hearty laugh, startling Teba. “It that all? Well, put your mind at ease, my friend. This certainly is Master Revali, Rito Champion, I assure you.”

    Teba searched his eyes, looking for some sign that this was a joke. “He can’t be,” he finally said.

    “Teba, it is true that Master Revali was the youngest of the Champions, but you must remember the skill that he possessed- _possesses_.” He too gave a glance towards whom he claimed the Rito Champion to be. “Do you doubt his ability because of his age?”

    “No,” Teba quickly answered, “Of course not. That’s not it. It’s…” He paused. How could he phrase what had been nagging at his mind since he saw the blue scarf? That had been making little nauseous rolls in his stomach when Felra and the elder claimed this fledgling was one of the four in such a position of power? How to explain to the others what was so blatantly obvious to him?

    “These Divine Beasts were piloted into war. _War_ , Elder Keneli; a massive, horrific bloodbath. And so much depended upon their success; countless lives, the state of our kingdom, the future of this world. The pressure of their personal performance is too colossal to imagine.”

    He realized dimly that his wings were clenched into fists.

    The elder couldn’t seem to put two and two together. “And why is that a problem?”

    Teba nearly choked, and this time, he couldn’t keep his voice down. “Because he’s a _child_.”

    A harsh breeze blew past before Kaneli showed some understanding of his point. “Oh, yes. I see.” He took a deep breath, puffing out his great body and almost pushing Teba over in the process. Kaneli let it out and nodded heavily. “But we mustn’t forget this: Master Revali was the most skilled archer of all the Rito. His talents in the combined fields of archery and flying surpassed what anyone previously thought was possible. And of course, his Gale was a legend to behold in itself. That he could master the winds of the skies was more than enough to put him at the seat of Vah Medoh in the battle against Ganon. He earned it.”

    “I’m not talking about whether or not he _deserved_ it.” Teba was finding it harder to control his volume. His unsteady temper was often the cause of fights between his friends and wife, and he racked his brain for some technique he could use to calm down. Now was not the time to erupt into frustration.

    What would Saki say?

    She’d probably tell him to find the right words, not volume.

    Teba closed his eyes briefly and opened them again.

    “I’m talking about putting that pressure on someone so _young_. It’s not… right.” He rubbed his shoulders with his wings, the exhaustion of the day setting in. “That does damaging things to a person’s mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear reader. Next chapter is being worked on as we speak. :) Thank you for sticking around, it means so much. Also, I'd like to take a moment to say I would greatly appreciate you visiting @prince-of-skies on Tumblr and screaming at me about Revali. Or Teba. Or any Rito. Or anything Breath of the Wild. You know the drill. Have a lovely [insert your current time of day here].


	3. Day One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "An ancient hero spoke these words:
> 
> 'One day I'll return to fight evil.
> 
> My cache is at 17 of 24,
> 
> This rock will point toward its retrieval."

    Teba returned home that evening with more questions than he had started out with earlier. As he slowly turned a bass over the cooking pot (while Tulin tried to pick at it every time his back was turned), he found he simply could not understand how someone had made the decision to send Master Revali, as powerful as he was, into one of the bloodiest battles in the history of Hyrule before his fledgling marks had even _begun_ to fade. Teba certainly wouldn’t allow _his_ son to walk straight onto the battlefield even if Tulin was one of the most gifted fighters in all the land.

    And then, after mulling that over and getting nowhere, he came to another concept that soon presented itself as one that he would not easily wrap his head around and that was this: if Master Revali was not old enough to be considered an adult, not really, how in Hylia’s green world did he achieve the ability to master the winds in such a short time? Before him, this was an unheard of power, something many dreamed of but never considered realistically attainable, and this _kid_ up and swoops in to crush the impossible and secure a spot in the most trusted force in the world.

    (Teba thought he was more captivated by this idea than the fact that the Rito Champion was _alive_ and back.)

    He certainly wasn’t doubting Master Revali’s skills. He more than anyone else was aware of just how awe inspiring they were, and that was just in hearing about them; he couldn’t even picture what those skills looked like when put into play in real life. And besides, Master Revali’s Gale was enough to testify his profound capabilities, so all in all it was the events and how they came to pass that he couldn’t comprehend.

    “Dad!”

    Teba blinked and found his young son staring up at him.

    “You’re gonna burn it!”

    As it turned out, the bass was in fact beginning to blacken on the bottom, sizzling and smoking, and Teba instantly yanked it away from the fire. Below him, Tulin giggled.

    “Heheh, I thought it was gonna crumble and fall into the fire again.”

    Teba grumbled. “That was one time.”

    “Mom! Dinner’s ready!” The little Rito bounced on his talons and tugged at his mother’s wings.

     Saki looked up from the bench at the edge of the room and smiled.

    “Alright, alright, I’m coming, sweetheart.” Then she sniffed the air and gave a look of mock disappointment to Teba. “Darling, I thought we agreed you could stick to the grains and _I_ prepare the fish.”

    “Why is everybody against crisp fish?” Teba made his voice sound as much like an exasperated complaint as he could and grinned as it got Tulin bubbling over with laughter.

    And in a flash, the day was forgotten. _Everything_ was forgotten; the battle at Hyrule Castle, the Divine Beasts casting their pained screams into the air, the Rito Champion who Teba could hardly believe was the Rito Champion, the fact that said Champion was somehow alive and breathing this day, all of it was gone. The only thing that mattered, the only thing that _existed_ , right now, in this moment, was his family. His beautiful, smiling family sitting around a burnt dinner laughing about it with a cool breeze floating through their home on an evening where Teba would not have to toss and turn thinking about what would happen to Rito Village if Ganon were to prevail and take power over Hyrule the next day. Right now, he was safe. Right now, his family was safe. Right at this very moment, there was not a thing that threatened Rito Village or his friends and the realization of this hit him full force; all throughout his body he _ached_ with a good kind of ache; the kind that allowed him to finally relax in a way he never could before. The image before him of his wife and son sitting together with the village behind them melted into one massive swirl of blurring but familiar colors and before he could notice it himself Saki was lifting a wing to his cheek to wipe away silent tears that had begun to fall.

    She smiled without speaking a word as though she understood perfectly what had just come over him, and he held his wing tight around hers, letting the tears continue to fall.

 

    The next morning, Teba awoke to the smell of smoke.

    Before he could bolt upright in fear that the house was on fire or Saki was hurt or Tulin- oh, Hylia, _Tulin_ \- _had Ganon_ -?

    He turned to the left and his chest was released from its icy grip. Saki was sitting cross legged on the floor poking the embers under the cooking pot and humming under her breath. Tulin’s bed was empty. Without looking up, Saki gave a soft smile.

    “Tulin is begging to go to Rodor’s Ravine for target practice again.”

    The embers crackled and gave a wavering warm glow, projecting little shapes of light on the walls.

    “Again?”

    “I don’t think he’s going to stop until you take him.”

    Teba groaned and rolled into his back.

    “How many times do I have to tell him we can’t go without at least one other Rito Warrior? And in particular one that doesn’t have a 24 hour job here in the village?”

    “I’d like to think, him being your son, that it will always take at least one more time.”

    Teba grunted and could hear Saki give a muffled laugh.

    “In any case, he’s run off to ‘say good morning to a friend.’”

    Teba stared at his wife. Saki snorted.

    “My thoughts exactly. Now, I know I’ve tried to raise my son to be polite, but I've never known him to say a single word before 8:00 in the morning.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “Would you mind finding out what our son is actually up to? Breakfast is almost ready.”

    The sun was certainly on its way up. Layers of orange and yellow spilled into their open windows and tree leaves stretched tall to reach the areas beyond the steadily creeping early morning shadows. The sound of distant chatter - sleepy, hushed, content - could be heard; a soft symphony of kitchen supplies, yawning, and beating of pillows.

    “Of course.” Teba stretched and stood. “I expect he’s gone to sneak some more arrows from Harth’s.”

    “Well, if he did, you’ll be hearing about it very soon.”

    She was right. Harth wasn’t one to miscount his stockpile.

    But as he stepped out the door, it appeared he would not have to look very far or long for Tulin as the little fledgling came crashing into him at full speed.

    Teba caught Tulin before he fell on his butt.

    “And just where are you going in such a hurry?”

    Tulin shook himself off by shaking out his whole body. It made him look a bit like a fluff ball of feathers.

    “Home!” He said, glaring at the ground. “Champion’s not here so we didn’t get to see him.”

    “What?” Teba said at the same time Saki repeated “ _‘We_?’”

    Tulin turned to his mother first. “Yeah, me and the other kids. They told me about the Champion and we all wanted to see him.”

    “Oh, I see. Place ‘other kids’ before ‘me’ in a sentence, darling.”

    “Hold up,” Teba turned his son to face him. “What do you mean the Champion’s not here?”

    Tulin frowned. “Yeah, Felra said he flew off before the sun was up.”

    “Did she talk to him?” Teba was getting that nagging urge that he almost constantly had, that urge to take control of the situation. The need that had been with him for as long as he could remember was a dormant one and whenever a new situation arose, especially when it concerned Rito Village, he would have to fight to level it. Sometimes it was beneficial for everyone, like when he took control of his team of Rito Warriors and led them strategically into battle. Other times, it was harmful, like when he unintentionally pushed everyone down to speak the loudest, his stubborn head believing his opinion to be right. Teba had to pick his battles.

    “I dunno.” Tulin then turned into the house. “Mom, I’m hungry. Do we have food?” He almost sat down before he stopped himself and looked up at his mother. “Please?”

    Saki smiled. “Serve yourself some salmon.”

    There was a beat as Teba hesitated. It was breakfast time, and his family was here. Leaving now would intrude upon the tranquility of their morning routine. “Saki-”

    “Go ahead.” Saki nodded her head in the direction of Felra’s. “Go bring back some stories.”

    Not for the first time, Teba mentally thanked Hylia for his wife’s mind reading power and headed out the door.

 

    Felra was not a morning person.

    When Teba knocked on the medical center door and peered in, she was still smoothing down feathers ruffled up from a lack of sleep. The bags beneath her eyes were a close shade to that of her plumage. She glanced sleepily up at him.

    “Oh, hello, Teba.” Felra stretched and Teba thought the crack of her back could be heard from the Hebra mountains. “What can I do for you this morning?”

    “Where is the Rito Champion?” He had almost interrupted her.

    Felra blinked. Blinked again. “Oh! Yes, of course. Well, um…” Slowly, she looked around in a circle, as if she expected Revali to be hiding behind her. “He just… well, he woke up this morning. Early. So early the sun wasn’t even up yet.” A wing rubbed her left eye while a yawn parted her beak. “Not my hour, as you can tell.”

    Teba nodded, pushing down a bubbling impatience.

    “And, well, he asked some questions, I answered them, and he flew off.”

    Teba’s brain short circuited. That couldn't have been what happened.

    “I’m sorry, what?”

    Felra took it as a genuine question, seemingly thinking that he really hadn’t heard her.

    “I answered the questions he had and then poof. Gone. Speed of the Rito Champion indeed.”

    “Felra,” Teba walked further into the medical center, his voice pressed. “What questions? What did he ask?”

    “Uh…” Felra now rubbed her right eye and sat down on one of the patient beds. “Questions… questions… what did he ask? Oh, yes. He asked, of course, where he was, and what was going on, and who was I, where was Vah Medoh, were the other Champions alive, how much time had passed between the defeat of Ganon and now… um.” She ran a talon along the wooden floor in thought. “I don’t think anything else. But then he sprung up like he hadn’t just been brought back from the dead and shot off of Revali’s Landing and headed beyond the Hebra Mountains.” She nodded absently as though confirming her story to herself. Then her eyes widened. “The Gale. Hylia, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

    Teba carefully folded his wings across his chest, eyeing the doctor. He spoke slowly, “And you didn’t happen to, perchance, dump all of this incredibly delicate information on him at once without consulting Elder Kaneli, did you?”

    As the early morning hour strode on and the sun began to ascend in the sky, painting the world in swatches of yellowy streaks, Felra seemed to gain more and more consciousness and understanding of the situation. She shrunk back.

    “…Maybe?”

    “‘ _Maybe_?’” Teba’s eyes quickly scanned the skies. “And he just left?”

    “Yes.” The doctor rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes glued to the ground. “I’m sorry, it was just so early and I’d been up all night and it really was a- such an unusual situation that I didn’t know what to say and…” Her talons were pulled back in to rest beneath the bed. “I’m sorry. I should have gotten the elder. Or you. Or someone-”

    “No.” Teba put up two wings to stop her. “No, I’m sorry, Felra. It wasn’t your fault, and I am sincerely grateful that you stayed with him all night. I can only imagine how exhausting that must have been.” He looked her in the eye. “You’re a dedicated doctor.”

    A brief smile crossed her face.

    “But I would like to know where he is,” Teba continued. “I can’t imagine that information giving him a fantastic start to the day and who in Hyrule knows how it feels to be raised from the dead anyhow.” He paused as a thought occurred to him.

    The other Champions. Would they be alive now as well? It didn’t seem out of the question, what with the reappearance of their own Champion and all four Divine Beasts’ cries having ceased since last night. Should he fly over to Gerudo Town to ask for advice, seeing as how they must be dealing with the reappearance of Urbosa?

    He decided against it. A quick visual map in his head showed that the flight would take much longer than would be worth it. Elder Keneli, Felra, and he could deal with this on their own.

    “He flew off in the direction of the Hebra Mountains, did he?”

    “Yes. Towards the edge of Hyrule.”

    Teba frowned, his brows pulled down low. “Hm.”

    A gust of icy air ran through the windows and past them, howling low as it slipped between wooden posts and swooshed the bed sheets up. Felra grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around herself.

    Teba stood still, facing the mountains with squinted eyes. Next to him, Felra silently offered him a blanket. He shook his head.

    “I’m going after him.”

    Teba turned around and had almost exited the room when Felra jumped up.

    “Wait, Teba,” she said. One wing was half extended to him as though in an attempt to grab his general presence and keep it here. “I don’t think you should.”

    The Rito Warrior came fully back into the room. “Why?”

    “Because… well, because I think I’d want my space. You know, after being resurrected from the dead into a world where I no longer know a soul.” Her eyes flitted over to the powdery mountains, white wind swirling around them. “Besides, I doubt you could find him even if he was in dire need of company. This _is_ the Rito Champion we’re talking about.”

    Apparently, Teba’s unshifted stance gave off an unconvinced energy and Felra looked him square in the eyes.

    “I’m sure he’ll come back soon anyway.”

    Teba blinked at that. “Are you? Why?”

    “Because where else does he have to go?”

 

    So Teba stayed.

    He came back in time to catch a breakfast with Saki and Tulin before hurrying out the door to make morning routes with his team of warriors. When he finished with that, he snuck Tulin off to the Flight Range without Saki knowing (or at least, he hoped so for his sake). They practiced for a little over an hour, and every time Tulin stubbornly knocked an arrow after a bad miss, he could feel his chest puff up.

    Yes, pride was a certainty whenever Tulin _did_ hit the target (the quantity of it bordering on plethoric, some might say), but it was nothing compared to what he felt when Tulin showed determination. It was the resilience that would get him places in life. It was the resoluteness of his soul that would carry him to heights he would never reach if he tucked his wings in every time the wind blew him off path.

    Teba knew this, and made absolute certain to teach it to his son from day one.

    Because success? Well, it felt nice, of course, but Teba believed nothing more than that the truth was this: in the end, there only thing left is who you were as a person, as who you had been in life. People were not their accomplishments; they were what they had laughed at, what they had cried for, and what they chosen to do when their arrow missed the target.

    After an afternoon at the Flight Range, Teba flew back with Tulin in time for lunch (and a very acute glare from Saki when Tulin presented his bow in the purpose of showing his mother the bow he had tied onto it). Teba then took the long path to Harth’s as an excuse to walk around the village with eyes for a returned Champion. No such luck. Instead, he plopped down next to Harth, who had a sleeping Mollie in his lap, to talk aerial technique and bow creation. The light that shown in Harth’s eyes when he spoke of everything that went into the making of a bow never failed to make Teba grin. His energy made Teba feel like he was looking at a child artist with a pen and fresh paper; endless possibilities, hours of conversation material.

    As promised, he later, after so much chatting that Mollie complained that she could no longer sleep and wandered off, told Harth of what had become of the “stranger” they had found up on Vah Medoh. He was silently satisfied when Harth gave a reaction near identical to his own. At least it had not been only him that could not wrap his brain around the idea at first.

    “But that’s impossible!”

    “Look, you’re talking to the guy who carried his body - not his ghost, his actual physical body - up the ramps into the med center and _I_ still can’t believe it.”

    And finally, he made the evening rounds with the warriors before coming back to his house to lay down and read. The sun was now heading leisurely toward the horizon, dimming the eye-squinting rays that had overlaid Rito Village earlier in the day. Once again, the temperature abandoned its moderate-cold for a wrap-up-your-tail-feathers-cold, and one by one, a glowing little fire was lit in each home. Soon, Rito Village was alight and murmuring with its evening serenity.

    Teba had seen this sight from farther out before. One evening, while returning home from an outing of ridding the Tabantha Village Ruins of Ice-Breath Lizalfos with Harth and Noal, they came into view of their village just in time to see the lighting up of the fires. From their distance, the rock Rito Village rested upon looked like a paper lamp with little holes being poked into it one at a time, letting warmth shine through. Teba had beat his wings hard to get home as soon as he could.

    But Teba felt none of that evening calmness now. Though he was draped across his bed with his book in wing, the very book he had been looking forward to having time to read for weeks, and Saki was reading in hushed tones to Tulin at the other end, and his legs were thanking him for finally taking a moment to sit down, he couldn’t focus on a single word.

    In truth, his mind had been a bit like this all day. He couldn’t quite focus entirely on anything as a part of his thoughts kept wandering back to the absence of their newly returned champion.

    Questions sprung up like Lizalfos from swamps.

    Exactly where had he gone? What had he gone to do? What does one do when resurrected from the dead? Would he meet him? Would he have the opportunity to speak with the warrior he had looked up to for a large majority of his life? That he still admired today? Would he be like how he had imagined him? Or something wholly different?

    And then more complicated matters swarmed his head.

    What was Revali to do now? Certainly his immediate family was dead. Did he have any relative descendents? Surely not those of his own but of other family members? Where would he go now? Was there even a place for him now in this world?

    Teba caught himself, cheeks burning.

     _Of course_ there was a place for him in this world, dammit.

    A nauseating roil caused his stomach to clench for just having this thought come to his mind.

    There _was_ a place in Hyrule for everybody, be it their timeline or not.

    And if there wasn’t technically a place for Revali in Rito Village, then Teba would make one. It was his duty as leader of the Rito Warriors and… well, it was his duty as another living being on this planet to make sure this Champion, this warrior who had given so much - his _life_ \- to protect the citizens of Hyrule, had a place to belong once more.

    But at this resolution, the book still avoided his eyes and his brain still buzzed with more questions until finally he could stand it no longer.

    “Saki, I’m going to the Flight Range.” He stood and placed the book on a shelf. “I need to clear my mind.”

    This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, and when Saki looked up, she only gave him a sort of quiet smile and nodded. She understood the racing pace of his mind that would not stop at anything but some time alone with a bow.

    “It’ll be okay,” she soothed. “Come back soon, okay? I need you to make dinner. _Grains_.” She relaxed somewhat when Teba was still able to give an eye roll.

 

    At this hour, the Hebra Mountains were plunged well below freezing. The temperature of “freezing” might as well have been the exosphere compared to where this area layed. By the time Teba reached the Flight Range, some of his wing feathers were sticking together with ice crystals, and his beak had a shiny sheen on it, like a frozen lake.

    Teba didn’t know how amused he would let himself be at the fact that no one else in the world would come out to such an arctic just to shoot a few arrows.

    So he was decidedly surprised to see the fire at the Flight Range already lit as he landed at the top of the ladder. Teba peered around the corner and sucked in a breath when he saw who was sitting at the very edge of the take off deck.

    With posture straighter than an arrow and without moving a single muscle as though he were frozen to the wooden boards, the Rito Champion sat without making a sound, gaze directed far below. With the glowing fire light on him, what little Teba could see of his face was outlined in flickering gold. His braids, perfect in every fold, weaved slowly between one another, collecting crystals as well. Something about his silent stillness gave Teba the impression that his mere presence was a volatile disturbance. And yet he could not bring himself to turn back.

    Again, he was caught off guard by the fledgling marks, just barely visible on his turned away face. For a brief moment, the image of the King commanding Revali to pilot Vah Medoh came to Teba’s mind, and that tightness was back in his chest.

    “Don’t let my presence deter you.”

    Teba jumped.

    Revali has not moved, but his voice might as well have been right behind his ear.

    “The Flight Range is as much yours as it is mine. Go ahead. The targets are lined.”

    Teba stepped forward. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just…” he trailed off. How to speak to someone about their recent revival from the dead? “You’re Master Revali, the Rito Champion, aren’t you?”

    The Rito at the edge of the deck still did not turn. “I am.”

    “It's an honor to meet you." He paused, watching the younger Rito for any change. It did not come. "I’m Teba. Leader of the Rito Warriors."

    At that, Revali did turn, and with scrutinizing eyes. In a flash, Revali completely sized up Teba, taking in his bow structure and arrow type and armor and height and build and possibly ten other things Teba didn’t know about.

    “You lead the warriors, do you?” His tone told Teba that he expected it to be a joke. The warrior leader shifted his armor to stand up taller.

    He wasn’t old, certainly not yet, but he was relatively “old” for a title that was more often bestowed upon a much younger Rito. And while he took no offense to the description of old - after all, it said nothing about him as a person - he had to admit it did ruffle his feathers when it was assumed that he could not do everything and more that a younger Rito Warrior could.

    “I do.”

    Revali hummed. “And how many were injured and how many were saved in Medoh’s recent attack on the village?”

    Teba took it as a purposely discouraging test, to see if he was worthy of his placement, but the tightness of the words told him there was something more.

    “No one was hurt in the arrow storm. We got everyone inside in time.”

    Revali’s eyes never left his. “Everyone?”

    “Everyone.”

    The Rito Champion’s shoulders dropped so marginally Teba would have missed it had he blinked. The older Rito stepped closer.

    “You know,” he started. He remembered a voice Saki used when approaching a delicate subject and tried to copy the precise tone. He wasn’t sure how well he succeeded. “Everyone in the village would be thrilled to have you back - to see you.”

    Instantly, the tension was back in Revali’s frame and he turned away.

    “Oh, I’m sure they would.”

    His words were more hollow than the wind.

    Teba pressed further. “No, truthfully. Everyone cares a great deal about what you've done for us all; we look up to you. I- well, I can’t say much about how it must feel to return to a world one hundred years into the future, but I can promise we’ll welcome you with open wings. Whenever you return.”

    Something in Revali’s posture shifted, and he leaned his head back to get a half view of Teba, his eyes ever vigilant.

    “Do they now?”

    “Do they what- care? Look up to you? Master Revali, of course. Everyone in the village is indebted to-”

    “Revali.”

    Teba stopped. “Come again?”

    “Just… Revali. While I… appreciate the title, “Master” is just…” He gave a half hearted huff of dry laughter. “No.”

    Teba nodded slowly. “Okay, well, Revali.” (He had to admit, deserving as the kid was, it did feel odd addressing him with such a title in person). “We are indebted to you, and you’ll be welcome in the village at any time.”

    He paused again, not sure where he was going. He had wanted to make sure Revali knew he was welcome, still not entirely certain why he had flown off earlier in the day, but now the direction of his words dissipated on his tongue and his tail feathers shook in the wind. In fact, his whole body was beginning to quiver and his eyes burned with flakes of snow. For a Rito, this meant utterly glacial.

    Apparently, his beak had begun to chatter as well as Revali turned around once more with a smirk.

    “Go back to the village.”

    Yes, it seemed he wouldn’t get much archery done this evening anyhow, and the sun had become a slim crescent over the distant hills. Teba shook out the frost from his plumage and walked to the edge of the deck to take off. He looked down to his right when Revali made no move to get up.

    “Aren’t you coming?”

    It was really more of a prompt than an actual question, but Revali seemed to take it non-rhetorically and answered accordingly.

    “No.”

    In any other case, Teba would have argued. The sun was slipping out of sight and the temperature only tumbled further and further down. Winds thick with fistfulls of powder tossed round the Flight Range deck. The fire was sure to die down at some point, more likely sooner than later. Any Rito would at least have a downright awful time staying the night out here, if they didn’t hurt themself by doing it first.

    But at the same time, the look on Revali’s face told Teba arguing would have been like trying to catch a cloud in a net. His single word answer was solid stone, immovable and cold. There may have been another circumstance in which Teba would have refused to leave his side in such conditions, but now was not that time. Not with that look in his eye.

    “Okay, well,” Teba brought his wings to his waist and unsecured a decorative belt. He unleashed it and placed it near the Rito Champion. “Take this for the night, then.”

    Revali raised his eyebrows at him in question.

    “It’s charmed. It’ll keep you warmer.”

    When he was given no response, only another turn of the head and far off eyes, he prompted “wear it,” and jumped off the deck, dipping down before his slow ascent.

    When he was closer to the village, he turned his head back to see Revali still sitting, unmoved, with a smoldering pit behind him. From this distance, the blustering snowy world seemed to swallow him up, and Teba had the urge to turn right around and drag him back to Rito Village if he had to, but then that voice and that face flashed in his mind and he kept his course.

    He of all people could understand when someone needed space.

    But damn if he wouldn’t be back to check in on him first thing in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, wonderful reader. You're absolutely incredible for sticking around. I cherish each one of you and you have no idea how happy you make me :) Thank you for reading. I hope tonight you sleep really, really well. Like, when you lay down you feel comfortable and relaxed and when you wake up you feel refreshed. I wish that for each one of you.


	4. An Outing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "As light shines from the northwest skies,
> 
> From the tower's shadow an arrow flies.
> 
> Pierce the heaven's light to reveal the prize."
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter is... long. I didn't know how to cut it. Sorry if that bothers anyone. Plot gains some momentum in this one. I think. I hope.

    But _that_ would turn out to be pointless, because when Teba went back in the morning, even before the earliest of light tumbled over the hills, Revali was not there.

    The fire was out, the targets were bare and collected of all arrows, and there wasn’t so much as a feather left behind.

    The belt was gone as well.

    Teba absently ran his talon along the wooden floors, his eyes searching the skies.

     _Again? Where did he go?_

    The urge, that controlling urge, was bubbling up in his chest and he took a few deep breaths.

    Okay. So what if he was gone again? He could certainly handle himself, after all. The scarf around his neck said as much, or Teba told himself so.

    So without a real purpose there, he flew back to Rito Village to bring all his focus back to his job, a new flame under his determination to not become distracted again.

    He approached his relevant thoughts in a warrior like fashion. Making rounds the day before, he could have sworn he saw the nearest Moblin and Lizalfos camp devoid of a single soul, which almost certainly meant the monsters had moved somewhere else, somewhere closer or in better hiding. _That_ , finding that new camp, seemed like it should take priority in his tasks. Aside from that, he decided as he looked warily at his lightly peeling bow, he needed to visit Harth again for a fix up. Those duties alone would certainly take up a good portion of the day.

    In this moment, an exhilarating rush went up his spine while he contemplated ways to search for the camp. This was what he did it for. The satisfaction and pride in keeping his village safe was sometimes enough to border intoxicating. Every burn, every ache, every stinging wound from battle seemed a small price to pay for protecting the people and the home that he loved with all of his heart. Coming home after staving off Direns who came for their diamond and opal with explosives and fire, the sight of his home - safe, warm, standing strong in the high winds - made his heart soar him every time.

    It was odd. One might think that after a while, he would get tired of it all; the monsters never went away forever, the injuries would accumulate overtime, and the emotional exhaustion of seeing any failure - _especially_ one that resulted in the suffering of any good living creature - might seem from the outside like a job not many would want to keep in the long run.

    But, Teba would proudly say, he was not “many.” He was stubborn. Persistent. And… what had Mazli said? ‘A loose cannon?’

    Teba laughed.

    Well, if a cannon could protect his family and friends, then a loose cannon he would be.

 

    Teba spent much of the day engrossed in his work.

    The morning rounds of circling Lake Totori proved fruitless in their attempt of spying the possible new camp, but Teba remained undeterred. He informed the rest of his team that they would head out on the same mission during the evening but with a differently shaped search perimeter. He did end up getting to speak with Harth about fixing up his bow (a bow Harth claimed was in such a state of disrepair he was disgusted to see it in the wings of the Rito Warrior leader. Teba grinned and smacked him on the shoulder, earning him a dry laugh). And he was even able to sneak Tulin off the the flight range again later in the day, though they did turn back earlier than usual when Tulin’s stomach began rumbling so loudly it nearly knocked off his aim. After the evening routes (still without success), Teba returned home, and had almost forgotten about the Rito Champion.

 

    The next day was similar.

    Morning routes: a smaller circle of Rito Village as Teba thought perhaps the monsters were hiding somewhere closer to Lake Totori under cover of trees or overhanging cliff sides.

    Mid day: sit down for a well practiced song from the local choir of fledglings. (He gave them a passionate round of applause and asked for more. Truly, the fact that they were part bird should not have dismissed any talent in singing as less impressive. Teba himself sounded more like a rock rolling on sandpaper when he tried to put out a tune). Additionally, this time was spent explaining to Tulin for what must have been the twentieth time why they couldn’t go out to Rotor’s Ravine, much to the little Rito’s disappointment.

    Evening: another search that left the warriors empty winged of answers.

    Teba began to wonder if it was possible a disease had simply spread among the nearby monsters and vultures had picked them off at remarkable speed. Not two days ago, they had been there, angry and stockpiled with weapons. Now they were just… gone. Infact, no monster of any kind had showed itself for that same amount of time. Teba may not have been an expert on Moblins or Lizalfos, but he did know one thing. They never left their forts. No matter what, if they had a single say in it, they would stay even if the fields around them were ablaze.

    But since there was no known disease that could wipe out an entire fort of monsters, let alone an entire mountainous region, in a matter of hours, Teba decided that they had to be _somewhere_ close by. He had told his team not to give up hope, that it was only a matter of time.

 

    The next day was different right away.

    Teba awoke to two voices arguing back and forth, barely contained in a harsh whisper, presumably in an attempt of respect for those with reasonable waking hours.

    Wait. That wasn’t right.

    Lifting his head up, Teba could get a better glean of the debate.

    It was actually one harsh voice and one even one, the harsher of the two speaking at such a rapid speed Teba could hardly make out a word. The calmer one would speak up in between his opponent’s breaks for breath and weave smoothe words, dousing the flaming speed of their dispute.

    Both sides were unintelligible from where Teba lay, and he was sure the more _passionate_ of the two would wake up the whole village if someone didn’t intervene soon, so he hopped out of bed and walked closer. When he had made it far up enough the ramps to come into understandable ear shot, he paused.

    Would he be intruding upon a sincerely private matter? Was this another one of those times where his bullheadedness would get him into trouble? It was certainly possible, and not exactly the kind of way Teba loved to start his day. However, one more loud shout from around the corner pushed Teba to take the last several steps to see what the matter was and if he could somehow quell the squawking, for the village’s sake.

    What he saw was not at all what he expecting.

    He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it was absolutely not this.

    “I don’t care! If you can’t listen then it’s only going to get worse!”

    “Master Revali, please, try to be reasonable. You must understand that while you hold high rank here in in terms of being the Rito Champion, you have no official connection through the warriors or say in what they do.”

    “If you think that’s the most important thing right now then you’re viewing the world like a bat. I’m simply asking you to-”

    But he cut himself off sharply and spun around.

    “You,” he said, taking in the sight of Teba.

    “Ah, Teba, I hope we did not disturb you.” Elder Kaneli gave a pointed look towards the younger Rito behind his back while several shades of frustration passed over the younger Rito’s face.

    “Ah… no. It was no trouble, really.” Teba stayed still where he was, but his talon wanted dearly to scratch the floor beneath him. He looked back and forth between them slowly. “I would like to ask though, what in the world is going-”

    “ _I’ll_ tell him.” Revali stepped forward, his shoulders pulled back and his eyes intense; his chest rose and fell noticeably. Teba wondered how long they’d been arguing. “What’s _going on_ is that this elder won’t let me command the warriors, whom _I rank above_ ,” (he shot that last part at Kaneli with a glare) “when we have a serious problem on our wings right at this very moment.”

    “There is no solid evidence to back-”

    Revali whipped right around. “Have you not heard a word I’ve been _saying_?”

    Silence fell.

    Teba said nothing, glanced at both of them, hesitated for a second, then stepped into Elder Kaneli’s home and drew the curtains closed.

    “Alright, first of all,” he turned to face Revali. “You need to keep your voice down. The entire village can hear you.”

    With blazing eyes, Revali threw up his wings and opened his mouth to say something back but Teba stepped over him. “And Elder Kaneli,” he turned to face the owl. “Can you please calmly explain to me just what exactly this is all about? I’d like to help.”

    After a beat of silence, a fuming Revali crossed his wings and took a step back, allowing Teba more space in the room. Teba nodded his thanks and took it, approaching the elder with caution in his step.

    “So. What is happening?”

    “It would appear there is some… activity happening in Hyrule Field.”

    “Not just Hyrule Field! Hyrule Ridge as well and-!”

    Teba held up one wing to Revali without looking directly at him, effectively shutting him up. “Go on, Kaneli.”

    “And it is not like anything we have ever seen before. That is all.”

    “ _Excuse you_ , but-” Revali ignored the look he got from Teba, “that is most certainly _not_ all. Let _me_ explain.” He took a deep breath and met the warrior leader with a gaze so intense it felt as though it was burning a hole through Teba’s face. “I have been flying from Rito Village to Central Hyrule every day for the past three days and each time, the monsters, all monsters - ground, water, and air - are acting _completely_ out of their nature. I’ll have you know I’ve fought every kind of monster in Hyrule and I know when something isn’t right with them. They’re acting…” his gaze faltered. “…like… almost like they’re being controlled. Almost as if they aren’t moving on their own will.” His head snapped back up. “I’m fully aware monsters are known to act strange from time to time, which is why I went back for another two days just to be sure. Certainly not every being is a cookie cutter creature, so I went to see monsters from farther off. And I watched them all. _For three days_.” He took a step towards the window and peered out the curtain. “But they’re not acting anything like themselves anymore. One day would be strange but acceptable. Two would start to be questionable. But three?” He turned around again to face both Ritos. “Something is wrong.”

    Teba processed the information given, rolled the statements over in his mind, but still came up without enough facts.

    “But what exactly does that mean? ‘Acting strange.’ What does that look like?”

    Revali opened his mouth, then closed it. He hummed. “It’s difficult to explain. You’d have to see it for yourself, but they’re running around mindless. Watching them, it feels as though they’re being drawn to one place by some force, like a magnet. They’re all blindly running towards Hyrule Field, but they’re coming from everywhere. I flew over to Lanayru Wetlands and they’re coming from there. I flew to the Great Plateau and they’re coming from there. I can’t get the elder to allow me the commanding power of the warriors for the purpose of further investigation and this isn’t something that’s going away. For Hylia’s sake, both of you _listen to me_ when I tell you something is definitely happening and that something is definitely _bad._ ”

   And then Teba was no longer looking at the _‘Rito Champion’_. This was not the grace and eloquence he had pictured when he had imagined the warrior in the past. Before him was neither someone with a constant controlled patience or the composed debater he had assumed he was. And he realized then, right there, how, in a way, the Ritos’ treatment of Revali had almost been cruel.

    One hundred years.

    One hundred years was nothing if not the perfect amount of time for stories to shift bit by bit in word and then meaning. It would be immensely foolish, Teba could see now, to believe that the countless stories that had floated around the village for a century could build up to create the perfect one and only image of Revali, of who he had been, and even more foolish to expect Revali to be nothing other than exactly that. That champion from the stories could not rival the reality of a living, breathing Rito, flesh and bone. Shoving him into a mold to fit their stories was not the way to pay back the champion for all that he had given.

    He swore to himself then to correct the glamorization of personality traits in the stories in any way he could, and he would start now by listening to the Rito himself for what he had to say.

    Teba nodded. “I understand. I’ll come with you.”

    Revali blinked, having apparently not been expecting that response. He examined Teba’s expression with squinted eyes and finally came to a sneer.

    “I hardly think I’ll need supervision.”

    “I didn’t say you’ll need supervision,” Teba said carefully, though the back of of his mind nagged that he most absolutely _would_ need supervision. “I’m saying I’ll go with you. As leader, I have command over the Rito warriors and if I see whatever’s going on with my own eyes, that’s how I’ll best be able to direct the team into battle or investigation or whatever we need to do, whatever this is.” He kept steady eye contact. “Just show me where this activity is happening and we can get going with our first move.”

    Revali did not answer and silence fell. Instead, he kept looking at Teba, unblinking, reading, judging.

    Kaneli, for his part, looked between both warriors, weighing the options.

    “Well, Teba,” he began. “If you think that is best, I will not stop you. I trust you to bring back accurate information and a strategic plan if need be.”

    Revali huffed and rolled his eyes. Kaneli continued.

    “But come back soon. You are needed on stand by as leader of the warriors here in Rito Village.” And with that, he stood up and opened all of the curtains, thus marking the end of the conversation.

 

    Upon a silent agreement, Teba and Revali met soon after out at Revali’s Landing and stood there, side by side, neither saying a word.

    Teba had returned from his home after grabbing his armour, bow, and sheath stocked with arrows before scribbling a note for Saki and sticking it to his bed.

    When he joined Revali, the younger Rito was standing with his Great Eagle Bow already strapped to his back along with a sheath of arrows, the exact kinds of which Teba had never seen before. They were of dark wood with intricate metal designs running down their spines, and the fletchings were a rusty orange.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Revali staring dead ahead, his breathing paced. He stood with that perfect posture, and now in the first streaks of daylight, Teba could see that it looked almost painfully straight, too forced. Revali continued stand statue like before Teba cleared his throat.

    “You never gave me an answer.”

    It seemed to wake Revali out of his head at least, but he still didn’t turn.

    “Well, if it gets the rest of the warriors on official constant alert for whatever we may be up against, I suppose so; yes, you may come.”

    Teba kept close watch of him out of the corner of his eye, the awe and surrealness of having the actual Champion right by his side having still not worn off.

    “Where do you propose we go first?” He prompted when Revali made no sign that he would otherwise tell him where they were headed.

    “Ridgeland Valley. That’s the passage most monsters from the northwest are taking.” Revali then knelt down and spread his wings, and his tone if nothing else told Teba he was smirking. “Do try to keep up, will you?”

    Teba suppressed a scoff. “I don’t think I’ll have any problem keeping-”

    But before he could finish, Revali shot off of the Landing with the power of a hurricane, the vigorous winds nearly knocking Teba off his feet. He looked skywards immediately to see the Champion high above, hovering and looking down at him.

    “What was that you were saying? You’ll be able to match my speed?”

    Teba didn’t answer, choosing instead to jump off the Landing himself, moving up in an ascending spiral. When he reached Revali’s height, they took off, leaving Rito Village behind them in search of some so called “strange activity.”

 

    After some time, Teba did start to fall behind.

    Revali flew with a persistent energy that beat his wings in a steady rhythm. Not once did he falter or increase the volume of his breath. He glided with eyes for only the ground and its wanderers, his form erect and consistently so.

    Teba himself was not anywhere near the vicinity of being a slow flyer, but he could tell there was no way he could keep up with this pace for long.

    And while the topic of their venture was quite interesting enough to stock curiosities and theories in the back of his brain, he could not ignore that it seemed odd to him to be traveling with someone whom he knew so much and yet so little about.

    And there was something in Teba that made him _want_ to know more - more accurate information, anyway. Something in him drew him to this Rito and made him want to see what was behind those flashing green eyes that hunted the paths below and did not so much as glance toward Teba once. It was more than the respect he had for what the Champion had done for the village and for Hyrule, more than the interest in his fighting techniques, more than these things, but Teba couldn’t say what it was.

    He was about to speak up and start a conversation, perhaps ask why Revali had flown off that first day, when Revali chose that exact moment to finally say something.

    “I thought you said you’d be able to keep up.”

    Teba blinked. He could see now that he was further behind than he had thought and accelerated in his speed for a few moments to come side by side with the other Rito warrior.

    “I’ll be fine.” He made sure his voice was loud enough over the wind rushing past them.

    Revali gave him a sidelong glance. “A warrior leader should be able to keep their word.”

    “I’ve always been able to keep my word,” Teba returned immediately. “I don’t see why I’d stop now.”

    It was silent for a few moments, then-

    “Well, not to burst your bubble, but you’ve already done exactly that.”

    Teba looked right at him, instantly running the two short conversations they’d had so far in his mind, searching for what he might be referring to. He found nothing.

    “What are you talking about?”

    Revali scoffed and shifted his eyes to Teba without moving his head. “‘ _I can promise we’ll welcome you with open wings?_ ’”

    What-? Oh.

    Teba grimaced. “Look, you have to understand the elder is just trying to do what he thinks if best for Rito Village. If he was slightly insensitive in writing you off in your commanding power - and let’s remember, you _have_ been dead for the past one hundred years -” (Revali rolled his eyes.) “Then I’m sure it was only because he’s looking for any excuse to not get the village riled up again. The fear that’s been running through all the Rito ever since the recent rise of Ganon has been exhausting for everyone. Especially those in ruling positions. He just wants to let everyone know they can finally relax.”

    Revali didn’t respond.

    The rocky ravines and sheer cliffs below fell slowly behind them and far ahead, the sun rose higher, peeking its full body over Mount Lanayru. At this point, the day was beginning to reveal itself as one that would have you seeking shade and much water before long. Though still not high in the sky, the sun was able to give off powerful waves of heat and Teba was grateful for the wind that blew steadily against their faces. Instinctively, he scanned the area for the nearest lake or river.

    “You know,” Revali finally spoke up. “Based on personal experience, things don’t usually go away if you ignore them.”

    Teba looked at him. It was a relatively mature statement coming from someone who clearly had trouble allowing others to speak without interrupting them. He was about to ask what ‘personal experiences’ were being referring to in this instance when Revali halted mid flight and pulled back into a hover.

    “There,” he said, his eyes trained on something below them. Without waiting for a response from Teba, he dove down at the speed of hail, and the warrior leader quickly took after him.

    Revali landed at the top of the canyon they had been flying over and tucked himself away behind a rust colored boulder, peering out from behind it and into the valley below. Teba swooped in next to him and hid in a similar fashion, scanning the deep path for whatever they were looking at.

    “What is it?” He asked in a hushed voice.

    Revali’s green eyes did not leave their target. “Those Moblins. Down there.” He didn’t point, apparently expecting Teba to spot out the monsters on his own.

    Teba searched below the steep cliffs, barren and dry and hot, not seeing a single sign of any life when-

    “ _Oh-_ ”

    Six Moblins were grouped together over a hundred yards from them at the bottom of the valley, packed tightly next to one another and running.

    Wait.

    Teba squinted his eyes and looked closer.

    They were running, yes, but… what they were doing was more akin to _barreling_ forwards, blindly, tripping over each other, messy and desperate, charging with all of their might towards… towards… what? The end of the canyon? There was nothing in sight that they could be scrambling for. Not for miles.

    And then they let out a howl. Six ear tearing shrieks that echoed forcefully off the canyon walls.

    Teba pulled back, blinking. This was certainly not something he had ever seen before in any monster, let alone Moblins, the creatures supposedly on the more intelligent side as far as monsters went. What Revali has said earlier about them appearing almost controlled… it shot a shudder down his spine as the accuracy hit some feeling in his gut he didn’t want to dwell on.

    “Keep your voice down,” Revali hissed.

    “This- this is the ‘activity?’”

    “Yes.”

    “What in the name of Hylia? I’ve never seen… you said they’re all like this? All of the monsters?”

    “Every last one. And all heading towards Hyrule Field.” Revali turned sharply back, and Teba could see the way his left talon jittered back and forth, the way his wings were pulled back taut, hear the way his words were hurried. “So is this enough? Can we go back now and demand a larger search team?”

    Teba looked past him at the Moblin group moving at unnatural speed.

    Likely, yes. With Teba’s word, he could get the Rito Warriors to do exactly as he advised, and he himself wanted precisely that right now, a larger investigation team. There was something about looking at those creatures, the way they moved, the way they screamed, that gave him a feeling deep within that something was very, very wrong.

    “Well?” Revali moved his face closer to the center of Teba’s vision. “Is it enough?”

    “I-” Teba had been about to affirm that going back immediately would be the wisest choice when something caught his eye.

    Just beyond where the canyon path swerved off to the right, the width narrowed to a single file ravine, treacherously steep walls on either side, before opening up again. And in fact, the sides of the canyon were nearly perfectly vertical in all places. There was no way out except through.

    That could work… that just might work…

    “I’ve got a plan.” Teba flew up to the top of the boulder - the Moblins were far away enough so that they had no chance of seeing him - and peered down to get a better look.

    Revali joined him not two seconds later. “A plan?”

    “Well,” Teba scanned the rest of the valley for materials. “...half a plan.”

    “Oh, fantastic. Half a plan. Well, we might just have half success today, if we’re lucky.” He glared at Teba. “What do you mean, half a plan?”

    “I want to close off that gateway.” He pointed a wing out towards the narrow passage. “I want to see what they’ll do if they have no way of going where ever exactly it is that they’re going.” He turned to face two eyes slowly dawning his intent. “We can then bring back at least one more piece of information about the behavior of these monsters.”

    “That’s... actually not a bad-” Revali stopped and now it was his eyes that caught something. “Got it.”

    Again, without so much a pause for response, Revali shot off with tree bending winds, leaving Teba in a cloud of dust and lack of information.

    Further down the valley, the Rito Champion sped along in the air parallel to the path far below him, and stopped only when he reached the natural stone gateway. Teba himself flew closer as well, though he paused at a shorter distance and perched in waiting on the valley walls, curious to see what Revali would do. For his part, Revali did something Teba had certainly _not_ been expecting, and flew swiftly and directly into the ravine walls at alarming speed.

    The ravine walls shook, if just barely, but they shook nonetheless.

    After getting over his initial shock and equal bewilderment, Teba tried to take in the whole scene to piece together what Revali’s plan may have been.

    There were the Moblins, still rampaging forward in the direction of the gateway.

    There was the gateway itself, which turned out to be not so tight a fit as Teba had thought - they’d need something large to fill it up, and they were running out of time…

    And then- oh.

    Oh, that was it.

    Nearly ten feet above where Revali was now repeatedly slamming into the wall was a large boulder, oval and tall and just wide enough to perfectly fit the gateway. It sat, a picture definition of precarious, between the two ravine walls where the they were further apart, and trembled every time Revali made impact with the wall on the right.

    The second half of the plan.

    That was actually… pretty quick thinking on Revali’s part, Teba thought.

    But now the Moblins were getting closer and the boulder still had not fallen. Shifted, certainly, but nowhere near loosened enough from its wedged position to fall in time. Apparently, Revali was thinking the same thing for he swooped under the boulder and started booming with the force of his Gale into the canyon from the other side. Teba could no longer see him, but the effects of his actions were clear. From his work on the other side, the boulder tip, the one wedged on the right side, began to shuffle down at a much faster pace than it had before.

    The Moblins were nearly at the gateway now, only a few more moments before they would pass safely under and the opportunity would be missed.

    Teba jumped from his perch and darted toward the small stampede, wondering if he could make it in time to distract them, draw them away, and if they would even pay him any attention with that look in their eyes.

    But then it seemed he would not need to as a final _crack_ echoed through the valley and the boulder came toppling down at a nose-dive, pounding into the ground with an explosion of dust, effectively clogging up the gateway and sealing it off.

    Teba sighed and smiled then with a mixture of relief and satisfaction. He peered up in search of the younger Rito but when he caught sight of him his smile instantly receded.

    Upon the releasing of the oval boulder, a plethora of hidden smaller (but certainly not trivial by their own standards) boulders, these ones harder on the edges and having no trouble at all finding their way down, began to drop from the upper cliffs like storming rain. And, Teba realized with horror, they fell directly over Revali and between their two sides of the canyon.

    Like lightning, Revali shot through the storm of boulders that tripled him in size, zipping around them and twisting out of the way, several of them just barely scathing him before splitting open as they crashed into the land below.

    Watching him helplessly from his side, Teba’s chest was tight. He couldn’t breathe.

    Once, in the past, he had seen a rock fall nearly identical to this. It had been when he was much younger, hardly a teenager, and he had been out with his father with permission to watch the Warriors in action. At the time, he had long since made the decision to be a warrior himself, and the idea of going out on a mission with the current ones almost made him dizzy. In his mind, the warriors were undefeatable, untouchable. There wasn’t a thing in the world that they couldn’t overcome or that could overcome them. To him, they were the invincible, protecting Rito Village from every danger out there. So he eagerly joined them on a quest of clearing a nearby camp of bokoblins. The camp was hidden deep within a cave, and the Rito Warriors and Teba crept silently in, bows in wing and arrows knocked. But the bokoblins had sensed them coming, their ears trained for cave footsteps, and sparked a rope with flame that trailed into a pile of red barrels.

    The cave fell in, with blinding orange and yellow, and a landslide worth of boulders came crashing down just in front of Teba.

    Ruzza had been the fastest flyer among the Rito at the time. Ruzza didn’t make it.

    Fayde had been the warrior with the quickest instincts. Fayde didn’t make it.

    His father, Talso, had been the Rito Warrior leader, clever and alert and agile. His father didn’t make it.

    And so, here, now, Teba was frozen to his perch on the valley wall, the tips of his wings wrapped painfully tight around the rock in front of him. His eyes followed Revali’s impossible speed as he navigated without a second to think through the still coming storm of stone. Finally, the Rito Champion shot through the other end and gave a sideways spin for good measure. He braced himself against the wind in his velocity and halted mid air. Then he spied Teba.

    “Well, that should do it!” He called out, swerving over to meet him on the ledge halfway up the valley wall. “Now all we have to do is-”

    “What were you _thinking_?”

    Revali stopped. His eyes flashed. “What are you talking about?”

    “I’m talking about _that_!” Not even fighting to keep his voice down, Teba threw his wing out at the now slowing tumble of rocks. The last of them piled onto the top of the original oval boulder and fell into place. “You could have _killed_ yourself.”

    Revali snorted. “I think I know what I’m capable of. A couple of rocks is an easily avoidable obstacle.”

    “Revali.” And Teba had to resist the urge to grab onto the younger Rito’s shoulders in the way he did Tulin’s when he had a point that was crucial to make clear. “That was not a couple of rocks. As instinctual and swift as the Rito may naturally be, and while you give nothing short of an excelling performance at occasions that call for it, you are not exempt from evading the unpredictability of Mother Nature.” He glanced up at the ravine where the pile of rocks now sat still as though they had been there for years, the dust settling slightly. “One inch off and you’d have been crushed to death.”

    “Yes, but I _wasn’t_ an inch off, was I?” Revali moved his head forward, pushing into Teba’s space.

    Teba did not back away. “But you _could_ have been is the point. You can’t rely on your bodily abilities for everything. You have to be aware of what will happen that is out of your control.”

    Silence.

    Then something crossed Revali’s face, something dark and heated and profoundly offended and… and… afraid?

    “There is nothing,” he seethed, “that is out of my control.” He straightened to stand taller. “ _I am in control. Always._ ”

    Another beat without any movement from either one of them. Even the Moblins seemed to have silenced their cries. The world of dust settled around them and the only sound left was their breath.

    Teba sighed and took a step back. Clearly whatever was behind this was not going to be unpackaged and solved today, and the elder was awaiting their return.

    “We should just observe what the Moblins are doing now and fly back,” he offered, checking over Revali’s shoulder for the enemy group. He couldn’t see them.

    “Yes,” Revali said curtly, “Let’s.” He turned around as well, running his wing feathers over the arrow fletchings. Both of them crouched behind a small ledge to peer at their subjects of study.

    Slowly, like a photograph coming into life in a dark room, the valley below them cleared of the dust and flyaway rubble that had tainted the air to reveal the six Moblins, still in a packed group, and the sight of them now was almost more terrifying than the sight of them before.

    Where the stone gateway was now sealed, the Moblins threw themselves with manic energy and force against the oval boulder. Screeching, tearing, scratching, bulldozing, and all the while with those wild, unseeing eyes. They now let out a howl, crying with such an otherworldly sound and effort that both Teba and Revali cringed tightly.

    “Well then,” the Rito Champion stood first, not removing his eyes from the creatures below. “I think that answers that question. What will they do without a clear path? They will force their way into solid stone in an attempt to make one.”

    Teba stood, switching his gaze from the Moblins to Revali, finding that as of late, when one question was answered, ten more filled his head to take its place.

    “I suppose that is… efficient enough data.” Teba looked back in the direction they had come from. It was going to be a long flight back with the winds against them. The sharp gusts of air even made their way deep into the canyon, blowing pebbles and swirls of red dust around. “We should head back now. What with the winds and- _wait_.”

    Revali immediately spun, searching the valley floor for whatever had caught Teba’s attention.

    “There.” Teba pointed hurriedly at two young Hylian women walking down the path at the base of the walls, waving smoke away from their faces. They were headed in the direction of the Moblins who must have still been considerably hidden where the dust had not completely settled.

    In less than thirty seconds they would be there.

    Acting on Rito and, specifically, warrior instinct, both Teba and Revali lept up in unison with a silently understood mission to swoop down and stop them - and possibly collect them - to keep them from getting anywhere near those monsters. But before they could lift their talons from the stone they perched upon, another threat took predominance. A handful more of moderately sized boulders - still large enough to crush nearly three person, mind you - chose that exact moment to dislodge themselves from the sloping top of the valley and drop straight down.

    It was by no means the storm of boulders that Revali had just scarcely made it through, but it did happen to be directly over the oblivious Hylians, and showed no sign of stopping in their plummet.

    It was then that the Ritos jumped off the ledge and dove straight for them, slicing through the wind as it worked against them. The boulders were mere yards above the women when a sudden gust burst through the canyon and knocked Teba slightly off path, tilting in his form and causing him to swerve. Ahead of him, Revali latched his talons onto the shoulders of the first woman and flew quickly up into the air with her before descending and dropping her only once they had reached a safe distance to the ground. Teba now grabbed onto the other woman’s shoulders and flew her out just as the boulder shattered behind them.

    The burst from the rock spit shards after them, one sharp piece just _barely_ missing the woman’s head.

    Teba dropped the woman at the distance Revali and the first woman now rested at, and floated down himself.

    “Are you both alright?” Teba looked from one pair of bulging brown eyes to another.

    Both stared at the mass of rumble that now took the place of there they had been not ten seconds ago, mouths opening and closing in attempt to speak. After a moment, the one Revali had picked up cleared her throat.

    “We- we’re alright. I- oh my goodness. Oh, Hylia. You- you- _thank_ you- I-” she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a bit, ah, stunned.”

    Teba moved closer to get her focus. “There’s no need to apologize. We’re just glad you’re unharmed.”

    After another moment of silence, he asked, “What are your names, if I may?”

    “Oh, um,” Still coming out of their shock, the women almost looked as though they hadn’t an answer. “We- I’m Copeya. This is my sister, Mari.”

    Mari still hadn’t said a word, still gaping at the smashed rocks and clutching her shirt. Her round eyes and soft face spoke of more youth than Copeya who wore a lined face. Young, certainly still, but tired. And worn.  
    “Mari,” Copeya nudged her sister. “Say thank you.”

    The younger sister turned to face the Ritos, and when she did, Teba hadn’t thought it would be possible, but her eyes widened even further.

    “You-! Are you-? Are you _Champion Revali_?”

    Copeya flushed. “Mari! It’s rude to assume either are the Champion just because they’re Ri-” Turning up to Revali, she took in his whole appearance, his face, his bow, his scarf, and her eyes widened to the size of saucers as well. “Oh. Oh, Hylia.”

    “Oh, Champion, we’ve heard all about you!” Mari burst out. It seemed she found her voice without trouble now. “We know about what all four of you have done for Hyrule and how you helped save us all and recently we’ve heard rumor that you’ve all returned somehow and-” Her hands almost shook at this point as she continued on.

    Teba himself focused on one thing she had said, though. The rumor was out that all four Champions were back? In the back of his mind, he wondered why the princess had not sent any message to Revali or at least to Rito Village if for nothing else than acknowledgement of his renewed existence.

    Mari finished her gushing speech and wrung her shirt in her hands again. “Thank you for saving us. Um. Champion Revali.”

    Copeya stood behind her with hands on her shoulders. She looked between both Rito with as much enthusiasm albeit through a quieter execution.

    Revali barely attempted to hide his grin, moving his chest slightly up. “Yes, of course. And I’m sure it’s an absolute honor for you two to meet m-”

    “-to still be alive,” Teba interrupted. To his side, Revali turned to him looking positively scandalized. He didn’t spare him a single glance and continued, “Now, I’m sure you both have somewhere to be. There’s unfortunately a little, ah, roadblock up ahead.” Unsure of how we would explain what he did not yet understand himself, he avoided the mentioning the Moblins altogether. “We’d be happy to fly you both out of the valley so you could continue on foot up above. Would that work for you?”

    Copeya nodded. “Yes, I believe that would. We’re headed to a stable a just a little was from here. You’d actually be helping us by taking us up top. Thank you. Again.” She nudged her sister, who was still stealing glances at Revali.

    “Oh-! Yes, thank you.” She smiled brightly at both of them.

    Once again, Teba and Revali grabbed onto their shoulders and took them to the top of the canyon. With much grinning and waving from Mari, they departed for their stable.

    Standing and watching them go, Revali shifted his eyes to glare at Teba.

    Teba sighed. “Don’t give me that look.”

    “You couldn’t have waited until I was-”

    “It’s not about you. It’s about the people.”

    For a second, Revali looked near livid for having been interrupted _again_ , when the words seemed to register and his features softened.

    “What?”

    “What we do,” Teba gestured to both of them. “Being a Rito Warrior. It’s not about recognition from those we save. It shouldn’t matter whether or not they’re grateful or spiteful. Lives are spared in this unforgiving world because of us and that in itself is the reward.” He looked Revali in the eyes. “It’s not about us.”

 

    The flight back was one shrouded in silence, bar the wind rushing past them.

    Teba often found himself slipping into his thoughts on longer flights and this afternoon was no exception.

    The first thing that came to his mind was what Revali had said earlier. What was it, ‘based on past experiences things didn’t usually go away?’ Something like that. What was he referring to? The way he had said it gave Teba the impression that he was being allowed a fleeting glimpse of who he was beginning to think of as ‘Revali.’ Not ‘Champion Revali’ or ‘Master Revali,’ but ‘Revali.’ Revali the Rito who didn’t know how loud his voice carried over Rito Village before seven in the morning. The one who could visibly breathe easier when assured that his Divine Beast had not harmed anyone. Not the one with the Great Eagle Bow, but the one with the still vibrant fledgling marks and bright eyes.

    Just Revali.

    And another thing - the princess. Had she heard of the Champions’ return? And, perhaps more importantly, had she heard of this strange behavior from the monsters? Teba thought it seemed important that she be made aware, sooner rather than later. Link as well. Perhaps he’d know something about it.

    Before he knew it, they were back in the Tabantha Frontier and Rito Village was in sight. It was too early for the lighting of the fires, but Teba admired its beauty nonetheless. The sun was still high up enough to glimmer on Lake Totori and the air had cooled to a more comfortable temperature.

    Just before they began an ascent to Revali’s Landing, the Rito Champion swerved off to the right and headed for the Flight Range. Without really feeling the need to ask questions, Teba followed him. When they reached the wooden deck, Revali spun and faced him.

    “You need to be able to work around the back lash wind.”

    Teba blinked. “What?”

    “I saw how it tore you off course. You nearly didn’t make it.” He stretched a wing over the updrafts coming from the bottom of the mountain, testing their strength on his feathers.

    Most of the time, Teba was not so proud that he could not admit a flaw or two in his technique. Failure only left room for improvement, and this was another thing he made sure to teach Tulin, but there was something about the critique right now - perhaps because of the stress and confusion of today - that made him tense. He was the leader of the warriors. He could fly.

    “I don’t believe it’s anything that is of importance at the present momen-”

    “I will not stand to have the leader of the warriors in my village unable to push past a bit of breeze. After all, that could have cost the young Hylian her life. ” Revali’s eyes met his, but the smirk on his face was only half sincere. “It not about us. It’s about them.”

    Damn.

    Well.

    “Okay.” Teba shifted his bow off of his back. “So how do I work around wind that works against me?”

    Revali showed him.

    Revali showed him again and again, diving downwards against the winds coming from below, how to push through winds that shot straight at them. A certain position of the wings, a precise twist of the body, a time sensitive flap that needed to be placed in a particular direction. All of it allowed no room for error.

    And all the while, they talked.

    They talked about technique in flying.

    “It’s better if you have your shoulders bent back in this way. You’ll go _much_ faster.”

    “I beg your pardon, that is now way to hold yourself while flying. You forget _some_ of us have a larger bow on our backs.”

    “I’d like to see you hold this position for more than a minute, Mr. ‘Great Eagle Bow That No One Else Can Use Properly.’”

    “How _dare_ -”

    And they talked about archery.

    “How can you know where the arrows will land if you’re shooting three at once?”

    “I’ll have you know even a fledgling can do this. But very well. Hold your arrows like how I do- no, not like- yes, like that. When it’s knocked in your string you look at it from this angle-”

    “But make sure to keep your talons in a prepared stance.”

    (Revali flushed and shifted his feet.)

    “O- Of _course_. I _know_ that.”

    (His rest of his posture _was_ better after that though.)

    They talked about stories of past times at the Flight Range.

    “Be cautious when diving straight down. At times, the updrafts will stop in one area and you _will_ fall. There’s no time to pull up while going at your velocity.”

    (Teba laughed.) “You think I don’t know that? Once I was training here for standard archery practice and the wind gave out beneath me. I wasn’t even headed downward and I still couldn’t catch myself in time. Look down there.”

    “Don’t tell me _you’re_ the one who made that atrocious mark at the pit of the Flight Range. I can hardly believe they still let you be leader after that.”

    “Well, look, between you and me, no one ever found out about that.”

    (Revali snorted, but then laughed. Really laughed. And Teba realized it was the first time he’d actually heard the sound, and suddenly he couldn’t help but want to make him laugh again. It was perhaps the first real _smile_ he’d seen from Revali.)

    “Have _you_ ever been caught off guard by the wind?”

    (But the smile instantly faded and the guarded look was back.)

    “No.”

    (Teba nodded, purposely keeping his eyes away from the hardly-noticeable-but-definitely-there marks on the back of Revali’s upper wings where the feathers grew slightly out of pattern. He didn’t push it.)

    And they talked about Rito Village.

    “You’re kidding.”

    “No, I swear to you, the entire village, every time, is able to fit somewhere to sit on top of Rito Stone and Nikta gives a guide speech on astrology while the rest of us look up at the night sky.”

    “And this happens how often?”

    “Every month or so… I can’t remember when exactly it became tradition.”

    “Hm. As far as I’m aware, things in Rito Village - at least this was the case in my time - never have a set date for starting. There was a singer who would teach her daughter and her friend’s daughter and son in the art of song. Some neighbors found out and asked if they might bring their children as well. Over time, the rest of the village would end up showing up with their kids and at the end of every week, the singer would host a Young Talent Choir. They kept it going for years, but no one could really say when it started.”

 

    Eventually, Teba had significantly improved his ability to avoid winds that shot directly at him and the sky had quieted into soft shades of purple and pink. His throbbing wings told him they’d been at it for at least a few hours.

    “I suppose we ought to go back and inform the elder what we’ve found.”

    “Oh,” Teba had almost forgot. “I suppose there was a reason we went out, wasn’t there.”

    Revali snorted. “We’ll tell him we went to Mount Lanayru and in fact made excellent time.”

    “Oh, I’m sure he’ll believe that. How shall we say it? ‘Elder Kaneli, I know I made a promise to come back soon and you don’t really believe anything is happening in the first place but guess what, we went to the furthest corner of Hyrule and took all damn day just because we thought it would be fun.’”

    Revali let out a bark of laughter and Teba himself couldn’t help but chuckle.

    At the end of their long day, their unusual and draining day, with hours of flight on record and hours more training here, Teba felt they were both at least a tad delirious, and that he was seeing a bit more of ‘just Revali.’ Guard down. Eye rolls but with a grin. Smirks that were more genuinely amused than taunting.

    It was… not the Revali who was _in control of everything_ , that was for sure, and Teba had the strong urge to keep it that way for as long as he could.

 

    They headed back to Rito Village, the cool evening wind on their backs, and the fire lighting before them. The twilight shone brilliantly all around.

    Teba almost forgot about the Moblins and was thinking only of Saki and Tulin and his new ability when he heard a sound.

    Actually, it was less of a sound and more of a screech.

    A terrible, wailing, shrieking screech that echoed across all of Lake Totori.

    Teba stopped and turned toward the source. So did Revali.

    Off in the distance, at the very top of the South East hills, a crowd of Moblins stood, panting, wild, unseeing. For a split second, Teba could have sworn he saw a flash of magenta swirl around them. They waited hardly a second more before running down the hills at full speed.

    And then he saw it.

    Behind the Moblins, climbing up from the other side of the hill, a _mass_ of monsters tumbled over the top and stampeded downwards. And they kept coming. Lizalfos, Bokoblins, Moblins, Blizzrobes, Lynels, Keeses, Chuchus, Pebblits, Stalkoblins, Stalizalfos, Stalmoblins, every kind of monster Teba had ever known about _spilled_ over the hills, hundreds of each, coming, coming, still coming, an endless stream of them, all wild, all screeching and screaming, all unseeing, and yet knowing exactly where they were headed.

    They were headed straight for Rito Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this... a plot picking up?? Or maybe I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I'd say the second one's more plausible.


	5. An Attack, a Meeting, and the Beginnings of a Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess the chapters are... longer now...?
> 
> You've all been incredibly patient. I went back to school after the break and I now have less time to write so I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming back.
> 
> Also you guys, I gotta be honest, I kind of have a serious thing for brotp: Revali and Mipha and I do not even know where that came from. Hylia help me I have such strange rare platonic pairs...
> 
> ANYway. Here is chapter five. Enjoy, you wonderful people.

 

    Teba’s first instinct was fly right for the village while Revali’s seemed to be to head in the exact opposite direction and right towards the flood of monsters.

    It was pure luck that he caught a glimpse of that flash in the Champion’s eyes, that flinch of his arm - the one that drew and knocked the arrows, the one he himself knew so well - and he had time to throw a wing out and brace Revali just before he shot off.

    “No!” He flew in front to block him. “No, not right now. We need to warn the village first. Cut off all entrances. Only then do we attack."

    For a fraction of a second, Teba could see in those green eyes before him the raging fire at having been commanded by anyone other than his own self, and yet in that same split second, it was gone, replaced by something stronger. The new light in his eyes was still a ferocious one, but now directed at something else entirely.

    The screaming was getting louder. A unceasing thunder of footsteps boomed across the valley and again, Teba was almost _certain_ that he saw flashes of magenta light amidst the stampede.

     _Focus_ , he commanded himself, _focus, focus, focus. Cut off the entrances._

    “The bridges!” He called out and dove down toward the Rito Village bridges.

    Before he could reach one, Revali was at his side, diving at a higher velocity, and both of them braced their landing at the base of the first bridge. Without needing to communicate verbally, they both immediately unwound the ropes that held the boards to the pegs and released the bridge to swing limply over Lake Totori.

    “Go warn the village.” Revali was already counting his arrows in the dwindling light with a deep frown. “Go warn them _now_.”

    Not needing any further motivation, Teba jumped over the lake and flew up towards the first island that provided as a stepping stone for the bridges. He nearly flew straight into Gesane.

    “Hylia above! What in the world has gotten you so-”

    But Teba interrupted him so abruptly and spoke so quickly, he wasn’t sure the bridge guard would actually understand. “Gesane, close off all access to the bridges. We’re under attack. I need you to go warn the village.”

    Gesane startled, gripping his spear with both wings. “What? From where? What’s-”

    “Just go to the lower village and warn the others. I’ll go high.”

    And with that, the warrior leader jumped off again, flapping his wings vigorously to reach his lofty destination.

    To his right, he could see Revali dart upwards toward Vah Medoh and disappear behind the great stone wings. Before five full seconds had passed, he reappeared and rushed downward in the direction of the monster swarm, this time with bunches of arrows gripped in his talons.

    Teba could no longer watch the younger Rito as he then arrived at the top of Rito Village, landing on the wooden ramps. He wasted no time in his warning.

    “Rito of Rito Village! Visitors! Get inside _immediately._ ” He sprinted down the walkway at full force and called into each home. “The village is under attack; get inside a home _at once_ . If you have space _please_ let anyone visiting in for the time being.”

    Instantly, people brought their heads up, looking around with open mouths that held a hundred questions but could not speak a word of them. Their eyes asked their neighbors, asked their families, asked Teba: what danger was approaching?

    He then had to grab onto the door frame in front of Harth’s home to keep from slipping right past.

    “Harth-!”

    “I saw them.” Harth nearly barreled into Teba as he emerged with a bow in wing, tossing a quiver around his waist. He shoved some arrows into Teba’s wings.

    “Oh, good, alright,” Teba was slightly out of breath. “I’ll go get the others.”

    “ _No_ , wait,” Harth grabbed his shoulder. “There’s no time. The other warriors will follow us once we’re up in the air. But we need to act _now_. Teba, there’s _no time_.”

    And right he was.

    The swarm had already begun to spread around the cliffs over Lake Totori, close to creating a perfect circle all around them. The howling and shrieking had not stopped for a moment since it had begun, and in fact seemed to grow in volume as the circle was completed. And then, what Teba saw next dispelled any possible doubt he had. The monsters raged and snarled up at the village with wide eyes, and in those eyes, swirls of pink and red and black bubbled and boiled, mist of the same hues seeping out of their noses and mouths.

    Teba’s stomach dropped to his feet.

     _No._

It was _impossible._ How-?

    “Teba!” Harth was shaking him. “We’ve got to go!”

    Teba shook his head out of his thoughts. Deal with the immediate threat right now. Ask that seemingly ever growing pile of questions later.

    So without a second more, they took off, bows sturdy, arrows at the ready.

    Behind them, the panic of the village was picking up speed. Voices grew louder and the sound of rapid footsteps on the ramps molded into one long rumble. The monsters were now on every side of Rito Village, ever restless in their jumping and waving and hissing, and Teba could hear cries of fear behind him in the village, most of them he recognized, could put a name to. The grip on his arrow tightened.

    Teba scanned the ground that the monsters occupied. The mob was still continuing to grow in size, more and more pouring over the hillside and adding to the bulk of the circle.

    “They- they seem to have stopped,” Harth called out. “They’re stopping staying put.”

    And it almost seemed so. The hundreds of thrashing claws and magenta eyes gathered around the lake, unable to cross over, and stood there shrieking, head turned upwards. Lake Totori became disrupted with the force of the stomping from above, shaking and wavering in the early moonlight, reflecting sparks of that pink light. The bridge was cut off; no one could enter or exit, except, of course, the winged.

    And that was what caught Teba’s attention.

    “The Keeses,” he mumbled to himself. “Why are they just hovering there?”

    The bat like creatures stayed right where the mass of other monsters was packed, floating in place. Why, if the final destination was Rito Village, were they suddenly stopped? It was almost as though something held them in place, something… like a magnet.

    He was about to grab Harth’s attention and point this out when, in the blink of an eye, the ground seemed to slip out from beneath the mob and now, like a stoplight had switched to green, the entire body of monsters began _jumping into Lake Totori_.

    Teba and Harth shared one look and gaped.

    Saying Lake Totori was deep would be a profound understatement. The body of blue below them could swallow up an overgrown talus and show no sign of it. Not only that, but it was freezing beyond the point of hypothermia, even more so in the autumn and winter, the former being the current season. And on top of this, many a small creature and animal had tried their luck swimming across it only to never see another sunrise. It was simply impossible to make it over thirty seconds in the water without a numbness spreading across one’s body and pulling them under forever.

    And yet, not forty yards below them, a pool of screaming creatures slid purposely off the side and directly into the water.

    “Have they absolutely lost their minds?” Harth searched Lake Totori with bulging eyes.

    Without saying so, Teba thought that certainly wasn’t the only indicator that these monsters were not acting on their own will.

    “They’ll all drown - should we go back? Wait for this to be over?” Harth shouldered his bow and slipped his drawn arrow back into his quiver.

    Teba hesitated. He was tempted to say yes, if only in the purpose of reassuring himself that this was indeed all that this was. That this was all that was going to happen. A landslide of monsters into the lake that ended an arguably already odd day.

    But he couldn’t shake the feeling that this could not be farther from the truth, and he held his place in air, holding up a wing to Harth. “Wait…”

    At about this time, the onslaught of monster supply from over the hill had stopped, and the rest of the village, having seen what was happening, quieted slightly, their calls less panicked. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Teba that nearly the entire village was watching, eyes glued to the monsters falling over the cliff side, wings gripped to the ramp rails and their children.

    When Teba turned his head back, he saw a sight he knew he would never, not in his entire life, ever forget.

    By the time he looked back to the monsters below him, enough of them had fallen into the lake that they were now poking up at the surface, the masses of them _standing on top of one another_ to get to the air. There were enough of them currently piled in the lake that the ones who fell over the cliffs _now_ could run over them like a living bridge and grab onto the main stone that supported Rito Village with razor claws.

    Teba could hardly process it.

    He could hardly fathom how many monsters there would have to be to fill up the entire lake, and yet the exact scene was right before his eyes.

    But then he had bigger things to worry about.

    The monsters, though they had stopped coming from over the hill, had not depleted their supply of ones still falling over the cliff, and those ones ran straight for the main stone and began climbing up towards the village.

    “Harth! Now!”

    Teba didn’t have to give any further instructions for his fellow warrior to know exactly what to do. All the warriors had been through enough raids and attacks to read each other’s tone and decipher the meaning from that alone.

    And so, with that, Teba and Harth began firing arrows at rapid speed towards the Moblins and Lizalfos and Bokoblins who were now scampering speedily up the stone.

    Actually, it was more than just the Moblins and the Lizalfos and the Bokoblins. It was all of them; every type of monster, with hand or without, was somehow scaling up the stone, all the while with that never ending screech. Soon, Teba, Harth, Ciera, Soryne, and Noal were circling the stone and their arrows, all of their arrows - Teba could tells from the tight looks on all of their faces - were running low. They picked off those climbing up and watched them shriek and fall off, only to have ten more take its place.

    “We don’t have enough warriors!” Ciera was able to make her voice heard over the anguished cries and from the side of the stone opposite of Teba.

    “We don’t have enough _arrows_!” Soryne shot back. She fired one of her last three.

    Teba’s throat was closing up. It was true; there weren’t enough warriors, let alone arrows with which to prevent the invasion. Yes, there were more weapons in the village, but they were built for short range combat, meaning that if they used them, it would be when the mob reached and flooded into the village.

     ** _If_** , Teba corrected himself harshly. _Not when,_ ** _if_**.

    But even then, a cold doubt was creeping up his back. He had less that five arrows left, and there was no shortage of monsters climbing and those below ready to climb. The screams from the village picked up again, and Teba could see parents grabbing their children and putting them on their backs, ready to fly away.

     _Evacuation._

    The word seemed to kick Teba right in the gut.

    Raids on the village were fine because it was something he could prevent. Diren attempting to get their claws on jewels was manageable, and it never affected the Rito in the village. But whatever _this_ was, it called for an evacuation, and this action was synonymous to failure in his book. If he couldn’t keep Rito Village safe, if he couldn’t fight off this mob, they would have to leave, and the idea of even a temporary evacuation made his throat dry and his wings shake. He would have failed them. He would have failed Rito Village. And somewhere inside him, that young fledgling who wanted so badly to be the lead warrior who would protect his village from harm and live up to the Champion was _shattered_.

    He had failed.

    He could see the the parents scrambling now, movements hasty and uncareful, fueled by adrenaline and rapid breaths. But there ratio was off. Neighbors burst into homes to pick up the remaining fledglings and carry off with them but there just _weren’t enough_. The slashing claws and thrashing teeth and wild screams had nearly reached the grassy top of the stone where the entrance to Rito Village beckoned, wide and open, with flightless fledglings still without a ride off of Rito Stone and Teba was out of arrows and the screams were so loud he could hardly hear himself breath and suddenly he wasn’t breathing because the first monster had reached the top, a towering, howling Moblin, and it was about to burst into the village when-

     **_WHAM!_ **

    Without warning, an arrow came whizzing at the speed of light from absolutely nowhere, slicing clean through the Moblin’s neck and planting itself firmly in the ground.

    Everything froze. The monsters stopped climbing - stopped moving all together, in fact - the Rito paused what they were doing and turned their heads to see, and the night air itself seemed to hold its breath. For a few solid seconds, no one moved a muscle.

    The Moblin on top of Rito Stone wobbled for a moment, choked, tried feebly to move its hand, then collapsed to the ground. Not a split second after he fell completely flat did the arrow that had run through his gizzard burst into a shock of green. What happened next had Teba rubbing his eyes to check if he was seeing right.

    The arrow flashed sparks of green light and abruptly exploded into an _enormous_ bush-like weed, three times the size of an adult Rito, a mass of thrashing vine, swinging its leafy tentacles violently around itself. It caught onto a bokoblin underneath the side of Rito Stone, wrapped around its leg, pulled it up, and tore the monster clean in half.

    And just like that, the world around Teba hit play and everyone fell right back into whatever they had been doing, except every single being moved with twice as much speed as before.

    As the bloodthirsty plant continued to snag monsters and rip them up as they reached the top, dropping their carcasses into Lake Totori, more arrows came shooting into sight, finding their mark in the eye or the lung or the heart of a monster, and exploding into a bush of living, twisting vines. More often than not, the arrows came in bundles of three.

    Teba looked up and squinted at the night sky, piercing the darkness for some movement. After a moment, he saw a flash of glinting armour and blue scarf jet across the starry firmament.

    “Revali,” he breathed.

    Below, he could see that Rito Stone was now so covered in malicious shrubbery, there was more green than grey; the plants made a full circle around the entrance level of the village. But the density of monsters was thinning out, and the ones in the lake were starting to slip and fall under, splashing about before disappearing from sight. The magenta mist that had spread in a thin layer over the village had dispersed and the light of the moon and the stars was able to once again provide a gentle light over the village. Parents set their children down and pulled them close on shaking legs, letting out nervous, shuddery half laughs.

    Teba found he could finally breathe in, and when he did he began inhaling in large gulps, having not realized how long he’d been holding his breath. Only when he was sure that the plants could easily take care of the last remaining monsters did he swoop back down to Revali’s Landing with the rest of his team and head up the ramps.

    “Saki!” He pushed through a crowd of other Rito running around looking for friends. “Saki! Tulin!”

    “Teba!”

    Teba thought his heart might burst through his chest. “ _Saki!_ ”

    And then Saki burst through the crowd, crashing into Teba and crushing him in her arms and he was crushing her right back, both of them breathing hard and squeezing out tears.

    “Oh, Goddess, I thought this was it for Rito Village. I thought we were done for.”

    “No,” Teba pulled her back and took her by the shoulders. “It’s okay. We’re all okay. We’re safe.”

    She was shaking. “I was so scared.”

    Teba brought her back in his arms. “I know.” He could see over her shoulder the other families and friends that gripped each other tight and let out their own tears. “So was I.”

    Then his heart stopped.

    “Where is Tulin?”

    “Oh,” Saki stepped out of the hug and wiped the last nervous tears from her face. “He- he’s here.”

    Behind her, the little fledgling stepped out and jumped onto his father’s leg. Without hesitation, Teba bent down and crushed his son in a bear hug, their faces close.

    “It’s okay now, Tulin.” He slowly stood up and leaned into Saki. “It’s okay.”

    “I’m alright, Dad.” Tulin put his wings on Teba’s face. “I only got a little scared. Mom was more scared than me.”

    Saki managed a smile and Teba wrapped one wing around her, still carrying Tulin in his other.

    “Is that true?”

    “Oh, yeah! I was being brave and Mom was trying to carry some of Amali’s kids away because Amali couldn’t carry them all and we were figuring it all out.” Tulin lifted his beak to the air.

    A warmth spread in Teba’s chest as he looked around.

    It was still night. The soft light from above cast a cool glow over the village where all of the Rito huddled and clung to their loved ones. They all talked over each other but the message was still understood through the grins and the shoulder squeezes. Fledglings stepped out to the edge to get a look at the new “bushes” that had since died down in their liveliness and sat lazily sprawling out their vines. The chatter slowed into a murmur and then everyone was looking around at everyone else, sharing looks and trading comforting smiles and not for the first time, Teba was overcome with the feeling that the entirety of Rito Village was one large family, one single unit that would defend each other to the death and smile with each other after victory. It was a feeling he had found nowhere else. He knew many of the names of those that smiled at him, and even those he did not know personally, he still felt closer with them that night than he ever had before. There were neighbors and inlaws and choir teachers and store owners and visitors from far off and Teba could have sworn that though he did not know all of their stories, he could feel their energy, their love, and it was so close to tangible he had to close his eyes and breathe deep.

    This village was everything.

    His family, his home, his history, and, if Hylia would grace it so, his future.

    Everyone in the Rito family was here, now.

    Wait.

    Teba opened his eyes.

    He looked around.

    “Where is Revali?”

    Saki glanced up at him. “Hm?”

    “Revali, where is he? He was the one shooting the- the _plant_ arrows. Where is he now?”

    Saki turned and looked as well.

    The ramp were full of embracing Rito and visitors but Teba could not see a towering bow or blue scarf.

    He spied some of his team not far off and called out, “Harth!”

    From across the way, Harth looked up from a huddle with his own family.

    “Have you seen the Rito Champion?”

    Harth furrowed his brow. “I didn’t know he was here.”

    Several families looked up from their huddles and glanced between the two warriors, following the conversation.

    “He was here earlier, shooting those plant arrows,” Teba explained to the questioning eyes.

    Understanding dawned on the faces of all those listening and they murmured amongst themselves.

    “Master Revali was here?”

    “What kind of arrows were those?”

    “I’ve never seen anything like them.”

    “I never saw him! Where was he?”

    “He saved us!” A little fledgling cried out.

    The crowd turned to her. Then they nodded earnestly in agreement.

    “Yes, he did!”

    “The Champion continues to protect Rito Village!”

    “Thank you, Master Revali!”

    “Well, wait a moment,” Teba interrupted. “You can thank him when you find him. Has anyone actually seen him?”

    The crowd looked at each other again, head shaking, blank.

    Teba scanned the skies and the cliffs around Lake Totori.

    Surrounding the lake, the grass was trampled flat and the cliffs had been eaten further back slightly. There was no longer a single monster in sight and the moon was now high in the sky.

    Teba ran his talon in a short line along the wood floor, scraping up bits of splinter as he went.

    Where was he?

     _Dammit._

    “Excuse me, Saki,” he kissed his wife on the cheek. “Tulin, my brave warrior,” he held his son close briefly. Then, with a nod from Saki, he stepped away and jumped off Revali’s Landing, sweeping the perimeter of the lake and looking in all directions.

    There weren’t many places Revali could be. The village was deserted except for where everyone stood together in one place, and the surrounding hillsides and mountain sides showed no sign of life other than the occasional squirrel or deer. He even checked the Flight Range only to find it empty as well.

    The only other place he could possibly think of was the one place he could not travel. So instead he flew up and perched on the head of Rito Stone and looked up towards Vah Medoh.

    The second he did, he could hear a voice echoing across the night coming from above. Teba stepped back and saw Revali walking on the right wing, the Beast having lowered to perch with a flat back since the Champion had been retrieved.

    “It’s simply absurd, Medoh. The very idea of it is just preposterous. I won’t even entertain the possibility. It could have been a trick of light from below. Or a type electricity from an electric keese. There’s just no way to confirm that there was any red light at all coming from anywhere so what is the point in dwelling on it?” He paused. “Don’t look at me like that.”

    He didn’t say anything else so Teba cleared his throat.

    “So you were just going to let me search all of Hyrule all night to find you, were you?”

    Revali startled and looked down. His eyes narrowed. “No one asked you to look for me, oh warrior leader.”

    “Right, well,” Teba had to resist rolling his eyes. “You should know, as a previous Rito Warrior leader, that it is close to literally in the job description to keep aware of everyone’s whereabouts while in Rito territory so they don’t get into trouble.”

    “And what makes you think I would get into trouble?” His tone was intentionally provoking.

    Teba sighed. This was not the way to have the conversation he wanted to have. He would have to start over.

    “Are you okay?” He tried.

    Revali furrowed his brow as though he didn’t understand the question. “I- You… what?”

    “Are- You’re okay, aren’t you?” Teba really didn’t know how else to word the question.

    That way seemed to register at least.

    “Of _course_. I’m fine.” His tone could cut down a full grown oak

    So Teba resigned himself to ‘tread carefully territory.’

    “Well, if you’re up to it, the rest of the village has no hero on which to place their abundant gratitude and I think it would really please them if you were to come down and greet them.”

    Teba couldn’t be sure with the distance between them, but Revali seemed to flinch. For a long moment, there was silence. Only the wind gave a low howl as it wove through Vah Medoh’s curving stone. Then-

    “Well, like you said, it’s in the job description.”

    Teba did roll his eyes then. “You know, I think _I_ ’d really appreciate it if you quit throwing my own words back at me.”

    Revali snorted. “Well then, you should quit saying that which I can too easily use against you.”

    They shared a quiet laugh 150 feet apart.

    “So,” Teba tried again after a moment. “Will you come down?”

    “No.”

    It wasn’t the same no from the Flight Range that frigid night that provided no room for argument. It wasn’t the same look that demanded you leave. This was different. Revali was looking out towards Hyrule Castle, his face set. Teba found himself looking out there as well.

    “I’m going to Hyrule Castle to see Princess Zelda immediately.”

    Teba looked right back up. “What?”

    “I have to inform her about this. This behavior is more than enough for cause for concern.” Revali did not turn his head away from the castle and Teba wished he could climb onto Vah Medoh for the sole purpose of shaking Revali by his shoulders.

    “Revali, it is past 11:00 pm. The royal family will be asleep. Do you think that meeting is going to go terribly well or coherently?”

    Revali’s posture wilted, if only slightly. “It is urgent though.”

    “Yes, _but_ ,” Teba took a deep breath. “It is also late, any meeting would go much more smoothly in the daytime, meaning the results and plan building will be better, and the flight over will be ten times easier on us if we get some sleep tonight.” Teba hoped that at least would get through to him, but Revali blinked and looked down, squinting.

    “‘We?’” He clicked his beak. “I hardly think I’ll need supervision.”

    Teba almost laughed, but instead took another careful, deep breath. “I didn’t say you’ll need supervision. I’m saying I’ll go with you.”

    Revali’s squint narrowed and Teba gave a half glare.

    “As the leader of the Rito Warriors. I’m going because I want to help the Rito, not to tell you when to say please and thank you. Alright?”

    Revali still hadn’t moved. He continued to stare down, eyes searching. From where Teba stood, the stars outlined the Champion in a crisp silver light, and a gentle breeze danced beneath both of their feathers. The world breathed coolly onto the lake and shook its perfect mirror of the sky. Teba waited.

    “Well,” Revali tapped his talon on the stone. “Very well. You may come, but,” he glanced slyly down at him, half a smile gracing his face, “do try to keep up, will you?”

  


    They left at daybreak the next day.

    The meeting Teba had last night with Elder Kaneli seemed to go considerably faster than the one they had had earlier that same day, and with more than enough permission to leave his post in Rito Village to see the princess, he made preparations to head out.

    It was in Saki’s nature to throw a shade of anxiety over every one of Teba’s outings on warrior duty, but with this one, she seemed to put on a face for him, one of pure encouragement, perhaps only for his sake, though he knew that could not have been all that she felt. He thanked her, grabbed her and Tulin in a hug that had the little Rito squawking with complaints that he couldn’t breathe, stocked his quiver with arrows (newly made by Harth all through the night), and took off.

    Once up in the air, he flew towards Revali who already hovered with eyes shifting restlessly over the village. Teba looked back as well. As the sun crawled over the Lanayru Mountains and fell upon Rito Stone, the bushes of vines instantly shriveled up, like a young leaf over a fire, shrinking into themselves until they collapsed into dust and ash. A soft breeze blew their remains over the edge into the lake and any evidence of their existence was now gone.

    Apparently satisfied, Revali turned and beat his wings on toward Hyrule Castle. Teba quickly followed suit, finding he did indeed still have to work harder than he normally would in order to keep side by side with the Champion.

    Not ten seconds passed before he was no longer able to keep the question on his tongue.

    “Okay, I have to ask, what-”

    “Botania arrows.”

    Revali didn’t even turn his head.

    Teba threw a glance back at where the vines had once been, images from the night before flashing in his eyes and placing the greenery once again on the stone with thrashing tentacles.

    “Where in the world did you get your wings on them?”

    Now Revali did look at him, and his expression told Teba he might rather be having a conversation about dirt.

    “It doesn’t matter,” he finally decided on. “I doubt they’re sold anymore, what with one hundred years passing and all.”

    There were at least four different tones behind his words and Teba couldn’t catch them all, picking up only the strongest at the forefront; a bitterness more potent than that of baking chocolate.

    And again, Teba found himself at a loss of what to say to ease the gap of a lost century, to somehow make it seem less gaping when the missing time could only stick out like a sore thumb in terms of how much the world around him must have changed. In how much he lost. Teba then found himself wanting to ask about Revali’s family but immediately steered his curiosity away.

    Now was not the time or place to ask, and, considering it was Revali, it likely would never be.

    So he asked a safer question.

    “Why did you go to Vah Medoh?”

    Revali furrowed his brow. “I beg your pardon?”

    “Last night, after you turned Rito Village into an overgrown garden, you flew up to Vah Medoh. Why?”

    At this, the younger Rito looked slightly uncomfortable, and he quickly and absently ran a wing through his arrow fletchings.

    “The Keeses flew up there and…” He stopped. After a minute, it began to appear that Revali truly thought ‘and’ was a suitable ending to a clause when he cleared his throat and spoke up again. “…And they were flocking up there and trying to get inside. I shot them all down.”

    “That’s all?”

    “Well, no, as a matter of fact,” his tone was close to a bite. “They were flocking around the main terminal.” Quickly, he added on, “before I shot them all down in under half a minute, of course.”

    Teba pictured it in his mind, the Keeses around one of Vah Medoh’s control units with their screeches and pink light. He didn’t like it.

    “Well, it’s something you can bring up with the princess, if you’d like.”

    “I know.”

    Revali was back to looking straight ahead.

 

    That morning, the winds were particularly favorable and in less than one hour later, they arrived at the front gates.

    But they were met with a surprise.

    Waiting there in front of the towering steel doors was who he could only assume were Urbosa, Riju, Princess Mipha, Prince Sidon, Daruk, Yunobo, and a handful of other Gerudo, Zora, and Goron, all of them lined up and murmuring quietly amongst themselves.

    Teba and Revali landed behind them and the lot of them turned around.

    For a moment, silence fell and no one moved, and Teba himself found he could not take his eyes away from the other three champions.

    They really were all alive.

    “Revali,” someone finally said.

    A small Zora with crimson scales stepped out of line and walked up to the Rito. It was only when Teba spied the elegant, royal decoration on her head that he realized this must be Princess Mipha of the Zora. Again, his brain short circuited and he had to blink harshly several times to keep from staring; this princess, the one he had heard nearly as many stories about growing up as he did Revali, _also_ could not be that much older than her childhood years. The way she held herself, the way she spoke, it was nothing less than royal and utmost proper, and yet he could see in her eyes a child-like energy that was held back, if only slightly, by these elegant decorations.

     _Two champions._

     _Two_ were hardly adults and still commanded to the front lines.

    Something in Teba was close to snapping and he shot his eyes toward the door. Had someone already knocked? He had a piece of mind to give anyone in charge, momentarily forgetting that the commanding of these champions was a hundred years prior.

    “It’s good to see you again,” the Zora princess was saying, her voice hushed. “It’s… good to see all of us again.” She stepped back and opened up the space between both Rito and everyone else waiting at the door.

    Teba noticed something then, noticed something change in Revali. The way he held himself, the way he spoke. It was not entirely like the way he approached Teba or the elder or Copeya or Mari. It was hardly noticeable, and certainly only recognizable now that Teba had spent a full day with him, but his voice was marginally softer, his shoulders barely lowered.

    “Mipha,” he nodded. He looked up, “Urbosa, Daruk.”

    A nod from each respective champion, and Teba realized what he was witnessing.

    This - Hylia above, what to call it - this _event_ of the Champions being called to protect their land, fighting in the battle, losing their trusted Divine Beasts, losing the war, lying in involuntary wait for a hundred years in a limbo like sleep that was not life nor death, and being resurrected to life once more in a land they might no longer feel like they had a place in. All of this was acknowledged and understood in four simple nods that could only mean so much more for each of them. Teba felt he was intruding on something entirely too delicate for his mere presence and he had almost stepped back when the princess turned to him.  
    “I don’t believe we’ve met- oh- well, of course we haven’t,” she smiled and ran a hand along her head fins before placing it out for a shake. “I am princess Mipha of Zora’s Domain.”

    Teba’s movement’s felt slow, as though he were in a dream, and he took her small hand in his wing. “I am Teba of the Rito, leader of the warriors. It is an honor to meet you, Princess.”

    Her eyes widened, “Oh, please, just Mipha. And it’s an honor to meet you as well.” She looked back and forth between both Rito now. “I assume you’re here for the same reason as we?”

    “If by reason you mean your homeland being swarmed by a flood of monsters in the dead of night, then yes, we are here on the same purpose.” The softness in Revali tone and posture was now gone.

    “So it’s true!”

    Everyone turned to Daruk.

    “ _All_ of us were ambushed by those mobs! I knew something was up the moment those Fire-Breath Lizalfos completely disappeared from the canyon!” His face looked like a steaming lava rock.

    “And did any of you see the monsters… head towards your Beasts?”

    Heads now turned back to Revali, but with less understanding.

    “They never made it past the town.” Urbosa swung her hair over her shoulder and looked at the ground with squinted eyes. “But they didn’t seem to be attacking any Gerudo, which I definitely found… odd, to say the least.”

    Mipha began to nod slowly. “Now that you mention it, they did try to get _through_ the domain, but they weren’t after any of the Zora.” Her head swung between Urbosa and Revali. “You don’t think-”

    “Has anyone knocked on the door?” Revali tapped his talon on the floor loudly.

    “Yeah, and I’d’ve bust it down by now if the door guard wasn’t so nice.” Daruk knocked his Boulder Breaker gently against the doors. “He went off to find the princess. Poor guy didn’t seem to know what was going on, much less that we were alive.” He chuckled, but even his laugh sounded a bit off.

    “How much longer then?” Revali had not stopped tapping.

    “We’ve been waiting for about five minutes,” Mipha supplied.

    “Yes, but how much _long-_ ”

    Teba put a wing on his shoulder and spoke low in his ear, “Be patient. None of us know.”

    Revali’s feathers bristled and he turned around to face him. “Did you not _specifically_ list the reasons for which you were _not_ coming with me?”

    Beyond the face full of angry champion, Teba could see Urbosa and Mipha share a look as Mipha hid a slight giggle.

    Just then the door swung open and Princess Zelda emerged, her eyes widening to rival the size of two stars as she took in each of the Champions. Silence fell again. Zelda moved her hands to cover her mouth and her a single tear streaked down her face.

    “My friends…” she took one step, nearly as wobbly as her voice, towards them all. “I am overjoyed to see you again.”

 

    The ‘meeting room’ was really more the size of a ball room than one of conference. The oval table stretched to both ends, seeming to double a track that an olympic track runner might use to train. Wooden and sleek, it was cold to the touch when all twenty four of them sat down. Aside from the leaders, there were five other representatives from each race, except from the Rito. Zelda sat at the head of the table and smoothed back her hair, her eyes still puffy from either a recent waking or from her tearful embrace with each champion outside.

    (It was the first contact Teba had seen from Revali and he had to hide a laugh when the younger Rito almost let out a squawk as she wrapped her arms around him. Despite his colder energy - at least compared to the other champions, and, well, everyone else - Zelda had deemed none of them exempt from her hugs and the look on her face from where Teba had stood made it seem like she truly meant it.)

    “So,” she breathed out. “Will one of you please explain to me what it is that you have witnessed?”

    Revali and Mipha and Daruk and Urbosa blurted out four different things at the same time and stopped, looking at one another.

    “Oh-” Zelda gave a weary laugh. “Well, why don’t we start with one person at a time, shall we?” She nodded at the Gerudo first. “Urbosa, please.”

    The Chieftain stood, placing ten fingers down on the table top.

    “If I am to understand this correctly, Gerudo Town, the Zora Domain, Rito Village, and Goron City were all attacked last night by mobs of monsters acting in such a way that neither we nor anyone else have ever seen.”

    Zelda glanced briefly at the other champions.

    “Is this in line with what you three have witnessed?”

    Three silent nods.

    Urbosa sat down and Zelda let out a slow breath, sinking slightly into her chair. In that moment, it looked much too large for her, the grand head throne with careful wooden carvings. Her body seemed so small between its arms and the puffiness of her eyes became dark rings beneath them. Teba wondered how much sleep she had gotten since the end of Calamity Ganon.

    “I- I’m sorry. We didn’t have time to warn you…” she trailed off. The space left by her words hung heavily over the room for a minute.

    “Didn’t have time to warn us about the monsters, Princess?” Daruk prompted gently. “You knew?”

    “I- yes, we knew, only because every monster in Hyrule has been swarming to Hyrule Field, just outside the castle. Last night, I believe every last one finally made it. And when the last one clambered into the mob…” Again, she stopped and bit her lip. More than scared, she looked… angry. Bitter. She removed her lip, clenched her jaw, and sat straight up.

    “When the last one made it, an explosion of light erupted from the ground. Dark red. Black. Smoldering.” Zelda looked everyone at the table in the eye, and everyone stared back with equal apprehension. “The light seemed to be… almost _sucked into_ each monster until it was all gone from the air, and when that happened, they became mindless; screaming, snarling, their eyes clouded by those colors. They all turned right around and bolted off in four groups in four different directions. You… you know where, I guess.”

    The room fell into a deafening silence. Teba was having trouble breathing again and he shifted in his seat to adjust his posture.

    It couldn’t be true.

    Not again.

    He himself had seen exactly of what the princess spoke, but it _couldn’t be true_.

    “They were being controlled by Ganon?” Daruk asked when the tension in the room threatened to snap.

    “That can’t be!” Sidon pushed back his chair as he stood, reaching a height at least three heads above than the tallest person in the room. His energy was even larger. “Link _defeated_ Ganon - we all saw it. He’s _gone_ now.”

    “Yes, Prince Sidon, this is true. Ganon himself was defeated.” Zelda held out a somewhat placating hand. “But,” and she took a deep breath, “this goes beyond his physical being. We figure, the scientists here at the castle and myself, that Ganon cast a spell before his defeat which would keep his- _energy_ , I suppose you could say, here in this world were he ever to perish at the hands of magic and sword. This energy keeps his intentions and evil spirit here, and that is what we believe is driving the monsters.”

    She slumped back again, her hands folded on top of one another. “He planned this. From the very beginning, he planned a way to get through again.”

    While Zelda stared at the table, the rest of the representatives glanced at each other. Without speaking a word, the gravity of what this meant weighed down on them all; a fear that had been only too recently doused out was beginning to grow again in their stomachs - it was plain as day on their faces. Teba too felt ill. He remembered that evening at home when he had been so overwhelmed with that ineffable emotion that his homeland was safe and suddenly that memory was soured by its utter falseness and Teba felt a fire burst aflame in him.

    This was natural; as a Rito Warrior, and especially as leader, the instinct to forget all else and simply morph into the mindset of protect his family and home was one that consumed him in every instance of danger, large or small. But this time was noticeably different. The fire in him that got energy moving through his body and his eyes searching for threat was now also one with a bitterness to it.

    He had seen this Calamity Ganon fall. He knew that Link, after Teba witnessed what could only be a microscopic fraction of his demanding trials, took on the beast and _brought him down_ to his _death_. He had seen Vah Medoh - and all the other Divine Beasts for that matter - shoot catastrophic beams at Ganon. He had seen the stress that had been breaking the world apart bit by bit finally seep from all the citizens of Hyrule, and he had seen just how healing that was only just beginning to be for everyone.

    And now, in a way, he was back.

    It just wasn’t fair.

    “Princess,” Mipha raised her head towards Zelda. “Do we know his current intentions? Do we know anything at all?”

    Zelda’s brows knotted and she frowned. “Don’t you know?”

    Mipha looked at Daruk to Urbosa to Revali. They all shook their heads and turned back to Zelda.

    “They were attacking your hometowns but surely you were able to recognize…”

    Everyone at the table leaned in, eyes and ears attentive.

    “They weren’t going after your towns. They were going after-”

    “ _Medoh_.”

    The table turned towards Revali who sat facing the princess, rigid and with dark eyes.

    Slowly, the answer dawned on the rest of the champions who then shifted, seemingly without realizing it, to have similar posture. All of their faces became tight and a further unease settled across the room.

    “Yes,” Zelda began haltingly. “It seems that the most likely thing Ganon was doing was trying to lead his army of monsters onto the Divine Beasts in order to, perhaps, _cluster_ his energy, which is being carried in them, around the Beasts in the purpose of taking control of them once again.”

    “Ruta,” Mipha’s voice came out barely a whisper, and her breath quickened.

    It was then that Teba realized something. This was not the first time he had heard a champion refer to their Divine Beasts as only their given name instead of attaching the more formal title of Vah. And in fact, now that he thought about it, this was the only way he had heard Revali refer to Vah Medoh. It reminded him of just how much intimacy existed between Beast and pilot, and when he was able to get a good look at all of the champions’ expressions, the seething rage mixed with bubbling panic, he realized that there was likely much more to being a pilot than he had originally thought, completely aside from battle strategies and physical fighting. These Beasts had been taken from them before, and if the growing tension in the room was anything to go by, it would not happen again if the champions had any say about it.

 

    So they made a plan.

    A surplus of royal guards from Hyrule Castle would be stationed at each of the champions’ hometowns to protect the Beasts and the citizens. While the mobs of monsters had been killed off, it was still too early to say there wouldn’t be a second wave, and so Zelda authorized her messengers to send out word for everyone to keep an extra careful eye out; caution was a necessity now, and any ‘strange activity’ seen anywhere at all should be reported immediately to the nearest town where the guards would be stationed. The champions were given the order to keep watch over their Divine Beasts, to never be too far away.

    And so with that, everyone set off towards home.

 

    The flight home was, again, one of complete silence.

    But Revali’s expression told Teba that the younger Rito’s mind was anything but. His breath was slightly louder than it normally would have been and the flames behind his eyes that had appeared towards the end of the meeting had not diminished.

    Once Rito Village emerged into sight, Revali again turned to the side, swooping in towards the Flight Range, and, again, Teba followed.

    Revali had hardly landed before he strung _four_ arrows and began firing at head spinning speed. He did not stop. He shot out again and again and again, each arrow - regular ones - landing at nothing less than a perfect bullseye each time while Teba stood behind him, watching. The warrior leader leaned against a wooden support beam and studied Revali’s face.

    He could make a pretty good guess as to what was going through his mind with the way his eyes kept flicking up towards Vah Medoh in between every fifth shot.

    “Bastards,” he grit out.

 

    It had begun to snow.

    The roof of the Flight Range deck was piling up with perfect white flakes that slid off over the side in small fistfuls every now and then. The air dove right down to absolute polar and the sun waved its last solute as it disappeared over the mountains. The stars peeked out from the masses of thick clouds only to be shut away again as the fog smothered them. Teba honestly couldn’t say how long they’d been there. Revali had to be on his twentieth or so round of flying down, retrieving the arrows, and starting all over again.

    And Teba honestly couldn’t say that he was confused.

    After all, the entire reason that they had met - while both awake, that is - was that Teba had built up too much anxiety and needed a release.

    And what better way to release that energy than through an arrow on a string?

    The findings of today were troubling, to say a bare minimum.

    Ganon was back - sort of - and after that which was on of the few things Teba knew Revali to truly and deeply care for.

    So he didn’t stop him when he flew back down again to retrieve all the arrows, but he did walk forward - cracking his knees as he did so (really, how long had they been there?) and placed a wing on Revali’s shoulder.

    Instantly, Revali flinched and swiveled to face him, eye wide with their fire still roaring.

    “Easy-” Teba held up both wings. “I’m just asking if you’re planning on coming back to the village tonight.”

    Revali’s face pinched. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but there isn’t exactly a home with my name to it, if you’ll use a bit of logic here.”

    “I understand that, but-” and he gently held Revali’s shoulder again (this time, the flinch was less severe) “You are more than welcome to stay in my home for as long as you need.”

    Again, that expression of utter bewilderment and what was almost alarm passed over his face. A wind shook through the Flight Range deck, pushing more snow piles off the roof to fall around them.

    “I-” Revali was switching his focus between Teba’s eyes as though trying to read him. Finally, “No.”

    And again, Teba didn’t push it.

    But when Teba flew off to the village and came back with a plate of cooked salmon and roasted vegetables and passed it in his direction, Revali gave no argument, and Teba counted it as a win.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has trouble sleeping, I seriously recommend listening to 'Rito Village - Night' on youtube at a lowish volume. If you don't need help sleeping, it's still nice to listen to anyway. (give it a listen!)


	6. Rodor's Ravine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I regret to inform you that I am a monster with no self control.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> (By the way, I appear to have a really difficult time keeping my chapters at a similar length, and this one is unusually long. So. Take breaks maybe?) :)
> 
> Also TAGS HAVE BEEN UPDATED - READ IF YOU NEED

    Bedsheets.

    Cabinets.

    Breakfast.

    In that order, every morning.

    Wash the sheets, clean out and reorganize the cabinets, make breakfast.

    Over her lifetime, Saki had heard more than a few comments made behind her back from the other Rito (and particularly from the other wives) that she was only reinforcing the harmful stereotype that women were the ones who stayed home and took care of the children.

    But in all truth Saki liked being a homemaker. She liked organizing. She liked reading to Tulin before his afternoon nap. She liked her home. So she saw nothing wrong with what she did; if she enjoyed her way of living and someone called her problematic, well, that was their problem. She was happy.

    That wasn’t to say she didn’t have a job. Saki was proud to be the village’s one and only armor enhancer. And while she was certainly no fairy, she did know a few tricks and recipes to enchant an earing or a belt, bestowing the wearer with unique abilities. Her best piece of work was worn by her husband, a thick but flexible belt that would keep him warm when he flew off to the Hebra Mountains in the dead of night for target practice simply because it was in his anxious nature to do so.

    So of course she noticed when she hadn’t seen the belt in over a few days. However, when she learned from Teba where it had gone, she couldn’t bring herself to be upset.

    “It had to be in the negatives, Saki, and I swear to you that look on his face told me he was planning on staying the whole night through. I couldn’t just leave him with nothing.”

    And she didn’t have to wonder later where her spare salmon had gone the other night because Teba came right up and asked her.

    “You can’t get him to come back?”

    “It’s been… a very trying day. And he’s restless, I can feel it. So no, he’s not coming back tonight.” Teba rubbed his shoulders, blinking sleep from his eyes.

    Saki couldn’t help but imagine it was well below freezing in the Hebra Mountains tonight as well. “Well… will you tell him he’s always welcome in our home, no matter what?”

    Teba breathed out a half laugh, “I already did.”

    “He’s still not coming?” Saki hesitated. “Have you… noticed he’s been, perhaps, avoiding the village?”

    Here Teba did laugh, but it wasn’t with humor, and Saki could tell it stemmed mainly from exhaustion. Teba began filling a plate.

    “Yes, I have in fact noticed that. Difficult not to.”

    Saki grabbed a paper lid and placed it over the now full plate in Teba’s wings. “Is he okay?”

    Teba paused. Furrowed his brow, weighing his answer. “…I think he’s _worried_ is all. Hylia knows he’d never say it, but what’s happening now is frightening for _all_ of us.” He paused.

    When Teba had first arrived that evening, he had given Saki what might have been the briefest summary of events she’d ever heard in her entire life before he began looking through the cabinets for a plate.

    From what she understood, Ganon was not entirely gone, and, simply put, that was pretty bad news for everyone.

    However, she didn’t know everything, and while she of course was eager to know more, she could tell by Teba’s slow movements and consistent yawns that now was not the time to ask a bombardment of questions.

    She would wait until morning.

    Right now, Teba clearly had his priorities.

    “Just- come back within an hour, okay?”

    He kissed her cheek. “I will.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

    “ _Please_ , Dad?”

    “No, Tulin.”

    “ _Please, please, please_? You _said_ we could!”

    “I said we could on very specific conditions.”

    Tulin huffed and flopped on his bed. “But I can’t become a great and heroic warrior like you if I don’t get the right practice.”

    “Oh,” Teba kneeled down, reached over, and tickled under his son’s talons. “You know just how to push the right buttons, don’t you?”

    Tulin screeched and giggled, tried pulling his feet away but Teba held his ankles.

    “Dad! Stop!”

    “Hmm, now let’s see.” Teba did not stop. “A great and heroic warrior would never beg his enemy to stop. What do you do in this situation?”

    Tulin then sat up and began repeatedly swiping at his father’s face with his small feathery hands.

    Teba laughed, “Alright, alright! I give up! I’ll never defeat you.” He leaned back on his heels. “That’s right. You fight back with everything you’ve got.”

    The little Rito beamed. “So can we go now?”

    “What-? No, Tulin, you know the rules.”

    “But those rules are going to keep us from going for the rest of our _lives_.”

    “Well then,” Teba stood, “I guess you’ll just have to be patient then.”

    Tulin scowled and hopped up. “I’ll find another warrior to go with us. Just watch.” And with that, he dashed out the door and into the village.

    There was a beat of silence before Saki cleared her throat from the other side of the room. “And just where is our son going in such a hurry?”

    “To… find a Rito Warrior with spare time, apparently.” Teba continued to stare out the door after Tulin.

    “You _did_ tell him about the warriors’ schedule, didn’t you?”

    “Maybe three hundred time, yes.”

    Saki chuckled, “I guess we’ll be seeing him very soon then.”

 

    As it turns out, they did not see him very soon at all. In fact, so much time had passed since Tulin had run off that Teba stepped out to see where he could have possibly gone. It took less than three minutes to run through the whole village, and yet he hadn’t seen the little Rito in over half an hour.

    He looked in all the shops and all the little hiding spots under the ramps and asked all the neighbors and, now that he had reached the top of the village, he was about to head to the Rito Stables as a last resort when he heard a voice.

    “Champion Revali, please! I promise it won’t take that long!”

    Teba shot his head up.

    On the very top of Rito Stone, next to where Vah Medoh still perched, dignified and imposing and marvelous with a magnificent span, stood Tulin, hopping up and down.

    “Champion Revali!”

    Instantly, Teba jumped off the deck and flew upwards in circles until he reached his son.

    “Tulin, what in the world are you doing up here?”

    “I’m getting Champion Revali,” he stared at Teba as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Then we can go to Rodor’s Ravine.”

    “You’re- wait, no.” Teba looked up at Vah Medoh, at the where he had seen Revali pacing after the attack nearly a week ago. “You can’t bother him right now. The champion is… very busy and he can’t come. He has to stay with Vah Medoh. It’s extremely important.” He hoped that would be sufficient enough information for Tulin.

    “I think I can manage my own schedule and deem what is and is not important, thank you very much.”

    Both Tulin and Teba then looked up at the deck as Revali walked into view, peering down at them.

    “I suppose you’ve just come up here to squabble and make a racket?”

    “No-” Teba started at the same time Tulin said, “We need you to come with us!”

    Revali looked back and forth between them. “You need what?”

    “We don’t-” Teba started, but was again interrupted.

    “We need you to come with us so I can have good target practice in Rodor’s Ravine witch is very dangerous so I’m not allowed to go without two warriors and so you can come and then I can go!”

    Tulin began bouncing on his feet again.

    “Revali, please excuse us.” He bumped Tulin’s shoulder. “Of course you don’t have to come. Vah Medoh takes priority.”

    Revali’s eyes flashed, and then in a split second he was diving down toward them before he landed gracefully on Rito Stone.

    “Perhaps you could not hear me from all the way up there.” He squinted his eyes at Teba. “I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions for myself.”

    “This isn’t about-”

    “And I can predict what the effects of a little absence will be.”

    “Okay, but-”

    “So, really, you can leave my schedule to _me_.” Revali turned to Tulin, effectively blocking Teba from his view. “What did you say?”

    Tulin did not hesitate.

    “There’s a great big place called Rodor’s Ravine where there are lots and lots of sandstone arches for target practice but also if you’re lucky some Great-Horned Rhinoceroses will come by and those are also really good for target practice. I’ve been wanting to go for a super long time but I’m not allowed but now we can all go and I’ll be a great warrior!” He paused and took a breath. “So will you come? Please?”

    Revali tilted his head a bit. “And why would you need me?”

    “Because,” Teba drew Revali’s attention back to him. “The rules of Rito Village concerning Rodor’s Ravine are strict, considering it’s not the safest place in the world to be. If a minor is ever there,” Teba held a wing out, pointing to Tulin, and resisted the urge to point to Revali as well. “Then at least two Rito Warriors must accompany that minor.”

    Revali nodded once. “And the reason you can’t bring another Rito Warrior besides myself is because…?”

    “The stupid warrior schedule,” Tulin frowned.

    Revali turned to Teba. “The what?”

    “It’s… the Rito Warriors have a weekly schedule in which every one of us gets one day off. When this happens, we’re allowed to leave the village perimeters, but seeing as how there are only five of us, and seven days of the week…” He waited until Revali gave another quick nod. “But since you’re not bound to any official weekly schedule, you have the ability to come and go as you please.”

    The younger Rito rolled his eyes. “Of course I do.”

    Teba ignored him. “So. What I think my son is getting at is that he would _sincerely appreciate_ it,” he looked pointedly at Tulin, “if you would come with us so that it would be allowed and Tulin could get a different kind of target practice. But,” and he turned to Revali, “again, I would _really_ encourage you to follow the orders of the princess and stay with Vah Medoh.”

    The Rito Champion looked him up and down, a slight sneer appearing on his face. “I’ll go.”

    Teba blinked.

    Did… he hear that right?

    For the past week, as far as he - and anybody else for that matter - knew, Revali had not left Vah Medoh, not even for food or water, hadn’t spoken to any of the Rito, and, what, now he jumped at the option of leaving for some ravine that was much further than beyond the Hebra Tower.

    Then he remembered that often times the only way to get Tulin to take his afternoon nap was to tell him that he should not do exactly that.

    Teba wondered…

    “Revali, you’re not… going simply because I said that you shouldn’t, right?”

    Revali blinked. “Why would I do that?”

    “Ah,” and the warrior leader really couldn’t think of a response. He shook his head. “No reason.”

    Revali squinted at him for a moment. Then-

    “well, then,” he shifted his Great Eagle Bow on his back. “Are we off?”

    Tulin giggled and Revali looked down at him.

    “What?”

    Teba coughed. “It’s kind of an all day trip, going to Rodor’s Ravine. It’s beyond the Rona Kachta Shrine, and unless you want heat stroke and raw rhinoceros for lunch and dinner, we going to have to bring a few supplies.”

 

    Water, plenty of it, food, enough for two meal for the three of them, wood for fire, flint, a knife, all of their quivers stocked full, and bows newly strung.

    After that, Tulin threw into the bag a pad of paper and several pencils before zipping it up and tossing it to Teba who caught it with an _oof_. Saki wrapped up the food, took the bag from Teba, and began placing it neatly in.

    While Teba and Tulin grabbed their last items and drank water to start off their long flight, Teba couldn’t help but notice that Revali looked oddly out of place, standing by the door, fingers running through his arrow fletchings. He was watching them, watching the ease with which they interacted with one another, the playful nudges and familial soft voices, the knowing of what another person would do and preparing to receive this action in some way.

    The way Revali was looking at it… it was as though he was looking at creatures from some other planet interact, like he had never seen such a scene before. He stood stiffly, seemingly unsure if he should enter but looking as though he didn’t want to anyway. Instead, he continued to watch in apparent mild fascination and fiddle with the fletchings.

    Finally, Teba heaved the bag on his back. “Ready to go?”

    Revali snorted, though his expression said he was glad to be going. “I’ve been ready the whole time. It’s you two that drag your talons.”

    When they reached Revali’s Landing, Tulin clambered onto his father’s back and held tight, and Teba was about to jump off when Revali stepped over to him, not looking him in the eye. He looked off in the way of the Hebra Mountains and shoved something in his direction.

    It was the belt.

    “This is… yours.” Revali, still looking away, pushed it closer.

    There was a just _barely_ audible mumbled ‘thanks,’ and Teba felt his mouth tug upwards.

    “Of course,” he said, “but,” and he gently pushed the belt back towards Revali, “we won’t need it where we’re going today. Keep it for now.”

    Revali stood still and blinked as though not sure what to do now, and Teba couldn’t help but smile a little wider.

    “Let’s go,” he prompted, and spread his wings.

    Revali nodded quickly and followed suit.

    Then they took off.

    Well.

    Revali shot straight up (the showoff) and Teba made is gradual ascent, flapping hard to keep both the pack and his son steady.

    Then, once all together, they took off.

 

    Teba was beginning to see that unless Revali was drowning others in waves of sarcasm or making snide remarks every now and then, if only to remind others of his presence, he was not a talkative person.

    The entire flight, he flew several yards ahead and said nothing.

    Then, when they had nearly reached their destination, Tulin piped up.

    “Hey, Champion Revali, how do you get the winds to do that tornado thing?”

    Revali craned his neck to look around at them before pulling back to fall in with Teba’s speed. The smirk on his face told Teba it was all downhill from here.

    “Well, it will be difficult to explain, since it is a power that you achieve only when you can feel the breath of the wild, the subtle tugs in the air, and let me tell you that requires years of patience and training.”

    Here, he flipped over in air on his back and spread out his wings as though he were as truly relaxed as could be.

    Teba could only stare. He hadn’t known it was possible to glide on one’s back, and he still wasn’t convinced when he saw the slightly rocky dips he took every now and then.

    “After that, you must spend many more years working to pull all of the winds right toward you, and this is not a given, since you must have something unique and powerful in your soul to start with. Then, it’s simply a matter of much more practice. If you are worthy, the winds will come to you.”

    Revali closed his eyes and grinned.

    “Okay! See, Dad? I’m doing exactly what you wanted.”

    Revali opened his eyes and looked at Teba with a furrowed brow. Tulin noticed and waved to get his attention again.

    “Yeah, my dad says he wants me to be like you when I grow up. He talks about it _all_ the time.” And then he began listing on his feathered fingers. “How amazing of a warrior you were and how you were the _best_ that ever was and that you could do things no other Rito could, like use the winds exactly how you wanted. And he also says your archery was the best and your flying was the best, er… some other things… I lost count, um…”

    Teba had never been so grateful for his plumage in his entire life as it now hid what was surely a deep red flooding across his skin while Revali didn’t even try to hide a low, amused chuckle, grinning at Teba’s expression.

    “So to be just like you, I gotta know first how you got to be like you.”

    “Well, that is… _very_ interesting,” Revali said pointedly in Teba’s direction, grin still wide.

    “Oh, hey, look,” Teba said loudly, “there’s the ravine.”

    “Oh!” Tulin nearly scrambled off Teba’s back trying to get a look.

    Rodor’s Ravine was just as how Teba remembered it. Enormous beyond measurement, hot, dry, coated in at least a foot of dust, and full of hundreds of little sandstone arches lined all across the floor.

    They landed on a ledge about halfway up the steep walls and Teba set the bag and Tulin down. Tulin immediately dropped to the ground and crawled up behind where the stone came up naturally to create a little wall and peeked over it at the ground below.

    Revali watched him. “What are you doing?”

    “I’m laying in wait for a rhinoceros.”

    Revali waited a beat at though expecting him to say more.

    “…That’s it?”

    “Um, yeah.”

    “We’re just going to sit here in hiding all day and wait for some animal to pass us by chance?”

    Tulin turned around to face him. “That’s how we get the rhinos. We have to be super quiet and sneaky and patient.”

    Revali grimaced. “Remind me again what I’m doing here?”

    “Look, you don’t have to be here if you don’t want to-” Teba started.

    “No, no, I’ll stay. After all, you’ll need someone with proper aim.”

    He tried to make his face as bored as possible, as though he couldn’t be bothered to be here or care, but he _had_ answered a little quickly, and Teba allowed himself a small smile.

    “Yeah, Dad, stop trying to get rid of the champion,” Tulin piped up.

    Revali smirked. “Yes, Teba, quit trying to get rid of the champion.”

    Teba stared at them both and groaned. “I do not need the two of you ganging up on me.” He poked his son before sitting down next to him. “I’ll have you both know my aim is perfectly acceptable. Above even.”

    After a moment, Revali huffed and sat down as well.

    “I’d like to see proof of that.”

    “Well, if all goes well today, you just might.”

 

    The ravine was quiet.

    Not a single pebble fell down from the walls. The wind from above prooved itself unable to reach too far down and the sand on the ground sat heavily, unshifted. The patches of shadow were stark against the bright parts of the walls where the sun beat down relentlessly. The stone beneath them sizzled and released a hot breath back up, swallowing them. Not ten silent minutes had gone by and they had drinken more than a fifth of their water.

    Teba frowned at the ration calculations in his head.

    “How long have we been sitting here?” Revali shifted to sit up from their crouched position. “This is not what I’d call adequate target practice.”

    “Shh!” Tulin pulled Revali down further by his shoulder and Teba was just able to keep from laughing out loud. “We have to be quiet!”

    His whisper shouts made Revali’s feathers stand on end, but simply rolled his eyes and took a breath.

    “Why the Great-Horned Rhinoceroses?” he asked instead.

    “They’re super fast and they give us lots of meat. Also they’re the only kind of animal here. We need them to run through all the little arches like a maze and it makes the target practice more difficult.” Tulin looked to Teba. “Right, Dad?”

    “Yes,” Teba nodded and took a sip of water.

    “We’ve been waiting here for far too long, why can’t we just fly farther down the ravine and-”

    “Shhhh!” Tulin raised is head to reach Revali crouched height.

    Revali swiveled to Tulin. “You _shhhh_!”

    “You _shhhh!”_

    “You _shhhh!”_

    In that instant, something caught Teba’s eye and he grabbed onto each of their shoulders.

    “Both of you _shhh! Look_.”

    They all looked.

    Below, at ground level, a lone Great-Horned Rhinoceros appeared from behind a large stone and strolled leisurely around the little arches, heading southwest. It did not appear to be aware of their presence.

    “Alright, Tulin, this is what you asked for,” Teba prompted, pointing at his son’s little bow. The fledgling quickly struggled to take it off his back before knocking a shaking arrow. He raised his head an inch above the little wall and aimed. Then let go.

    The arrow flew across a fourth of the canyon before dropping unceremoniously to the ground, startling the rhino who then snorted and ran off out of sight.

    It was silent for a moment. Teba could see Revali staring off after where the arrow now lay, his face pinched. He looked at it for a long minute. Then-

    “Come with me.”

    Without waiting for any answer, Revali dove off the ledge in a fluid movement and landed on the sandy ground below. As he began looking around himself, Teba bent down for Tulin to climb onto his back and they both flew down to meet him. When they reached the ground, Teba looked around as well in search of why they had come.

    “What are we doing-”

    “Do you see that arch over there?” Revali stepped next to Tulin and pointed out at a little sandstone formation.

    Tulin nodded.

    “Okay, that is our target, alright? But before you shoot, I’m going to teach you a few tips.”

    Revali swung the Great Eagle Bow off his back, twisting it elegantly in his fingers so that it was held upright. He then knocked an arrow so quick Teba could have mistaken it for having already been there when he dismantled the bow.

    “Hold your arrow at eye level.”

    He waited until Tulin copied him.

    “If it feels natural, you can rotate the bow closer to a forty five degree angle as opposed to a straight ninety. Perfectly in line doesn’t always equal a successful shot.”

    Teba stood behind them and… was beginning to notice something.

    “Always keep your eye along the shaft, and when you find your target, lock onto it, focus - visually - only on that one thing.”

    This was a different lesson than the one Revali had given earlier about his Gale.

    “Now, because the target is a considerable distance away, you need to account for the amount of height that your arrow will drop over its course.”

    This was not about him. This time, instead of that bright smile shining as he basked in attention, he frowned in concentration as he seemed to try earnestly to teach as accurately as possible.

    “Additionally, you must also be aware of the wind. Which way is the wind blowing?”

    “There is no wind,” Tulin answered dutifully.

    Revali flashed a small grin. “Precisely - trick question. Now if there _was_ wind blowing in the direction of our target, we wouldn’t have to shoot as high, as the wind will help carry our arrow.”

    And even though he didn’t have that smug, self satisfied look on his face, that overly relaxed stance, Teba could feel from his words, from the way he held himself, from the way he looked at Tulin… that he was happier teaching this lesson.

    “But if the wind is going left, shoot slightly to the right, and if it’s going to the right, shoot slightly to the left. Then if it’s coming straight at you, you must pull your string back even further and shoot up still.”

    Teba realized he was grinning watching them both, Revali checking Tulin and Tulin hurriedly copying Revali’s form.

    “You must never let the direction of the wind slip from your mind as it will never cease to be crucial in your performance.”

    Teba decided that the Revali who described how to achieve his Gale was Champion Revali, and the Revali who kneeled down next to Tulin so they were at more equal heights was Revali as himself.

    “Do you have a lock on your target?”

    “Mm-hm.”

    “Fire.”

    Revali released his arrow, and his string made a twang that sounded like a split second of some pure melody. The arrow flew directly through the arch.

    Tulin’s arrow hit the inside of the arch and ricocheted off, spinning wildly into a corner of the canyon.

    Tulin frowned but Revali stood up and offered him an approving tilt of the head.

    “Much better, anyway.”

    The champion looked away, but Teba saw the excitement and pride that swelled in the Tulin’s eyes behind his back.

 

    They spent the next hour or so like that. Revali instructing Tulin and Tulin emptying out his quiver again and again, passion and motivation visibly increasing as his aim improved with each shot. Revali himself practiced as well, if only for a bit of fun as, really, a sandstone arch as a target must have been child’s play for him. But Teba didn’t miss the way he blinked in quiet surprise and let out an pleased huff one time as he shot _five_ arrows at once and they all hit their marks. For his part, Teba sat behind them, watching and pleased to simply _be_. To just sit there in the shade watching his son slowly but surely improve and Revali practice his own moves, ones which Teba could never dream of executing so flawlessly (shooting with closed eyes was especially amusing to watch). Every now and then, he would give praise to Tulin, letting him know he was watching, that he was proud, that he could try this or that way next, if he wanted. Sometimes, he would praise Revali as well, expressing honest awe at his abilities, though he wasn’t certain how Revali felt about it. Of course, he smirked (of course he did), holding his head higher, but Teba spied something… off in his eyes, something so small he almost missed it. Something stiff and unsure and nervous.

    Whatever it was, it was not in line with that radiating arrogance, that air of overflowing self confidence.

    But Teba couldn’t put a name to what it was exactly.

    After a while, he zoned out.

    The conversation between the other two became a gentle murmur in the warm ravine with occasional thrilled shouts from Tulin that echoed through the valley. The sand was hot - not too hot, but at just the right temperature that Teba struggled to keep open his increasingly heavy eyelids. And he might have just taken a nap then and there when he suddenly realized he was parched beyond the sands of the Gerudo Desert.

    He sat up (a little too quickly, the world darkened briefly before it came back into light) and looked up at their camp on the ledge. The water was still up there. Glancing back at the two younger Rito still highly engaged in their practice, he decided he didn’t have to tell them. The past hour seemed like a bubble in time, one that took them out of any titles or roles in society and placed them far away, in a place where they were simply three Rito, interacting with ease, speaking with familial, soft voices, knowing what another would do and being prepared to receive that action in some way.

    So he didn’t feel the need to speak up and disturb the other two. He simply got a bit of a running start and headed upwards. Below him, Revali and Tulin seemed to take no notice. Once perched on the ledge, he dug through the bag to find the water.

    At this time, the sun was directly above them, midday, streaming into the ravine, and the only shadows that remained were steep ones stretching down the valley walls.

    Up there, standing under the shade of his wing and drinking large gulps of cool, smooth water, the meeting at the castle last week seemed ages ago, maybe even part of another world, another time. Even the threat of Ganon’s return couldn’t penetrate this bubble, and it all seemed rather unreal. To Teba, only Rodor’s Ravine, blurring with heat, and the people within it deserved any of his attention right now. Only this day. Only this moment.

    He felt… like some ever so slightly askew part of his life - some part that had always felt off - was slowly but surely slipping into its proper place, though he couldn’t put a feather on exactly what it was, or what was causing this. He only knew this was a good day.

    He had finished one of the bottles of water and was counting out the rest, trying to determine how much longer they would be able to last, when he felt a distant rumble. It wasn’t like thunder, but more akin to a far off quaking ground, one that covered acres and acres of land.

    Teba stood. He placed both wings above his eyes for shade and gazed into the distance.

    At first, there was nothing. Only the dusty ravine that stretched on for miles and all the way out of Hyrule. A hawk flew across the barren sky.

    Then he saw.

    At this distance, it almost looked like a wave of water bursting through the valley from the Northeast. But it didn’t take long for it to become clear that whatever was heading straight for them at a speed fast enough to shake the ground was not water, but a stampede of Great-Horned Rhinoceroses.

    Before his body could morph into fight or flight, his brain stopped the situation. The world around Teba froze and he knew his mind well enough to know that this was his chance to analyse the plight.

    The ‘wave’ of rhinoceroses, with their blueish skin, was expansive enough to indeed be mistaken for a wave. It extended far beyond his line of vision and disappeared around a bend. Rhinoceroses were known to run in stampedes from time to time if something managed to startle an entire crash, but for something to startle a crash this large… it was too frightening to imagine.

     _What else, what else? Find something- anything helpful-_

    There were several crashes up north, beyond the borders of Hyrule, that came down from every now and then to graze when they had eaten up their own supply, but never at this speed, never with this panisc. The only other thing that Teba knew about rhinoceroses was that once they started running, they would stop at nothing as long as there was solid ground before them and blood in their veins. He had heard once from an old instructor of his that there had once been a stampede of Great-Horned Rhinoceroses through Ridgeland Ruins. The animals trampled down old buildings and even knocked over a couple of thick rooted trees. When they had gone, the ground was left entirely flat, not a single grounded plant remained standing.

    And now he could hear them snorting and their hooves pounding, the crash racing at full speed.

    Instantly, he looked back down at Revali and Teba who were crouched next to each other again. Revali appeared to be allowing Tulin to look at how he held every part of his body when drawing an arrow as the little Rito tried to copy the feet placements. They gave no outward notion that they had taken any notice of the stampede headed their way.

    Teba instinctively called out, yelling their names, waving his wings, but knew even before he started that they wouldn’t be able to hear him. They were considerably farther Southwest than the camp on the ledge, and twice that length away in height.

    His heart jumped into his throat.

    Within the minute, they’d be flattened.

    He looked around so quickly for any kind of cover that his neck nearly cracked. Then he saw a bit of wall, the one opposite of him, that jutted out, offering a bit of space out of the way of the main path. Without a second more, Teba did the only thing he could think of.

    He dove down with all the velocity of a falling boulder, the wind pushing past nearly blurring his eyes that were built specifically for this. To his right, the rhinoceroses came bursting into view, kicking up a wall of dust and not slowing in their run. To his left, Revali and Tulin had just looked up in realization, but before they could move, Teba, not stopping in his flight, grabbed onto the scruffs of their necks with his talons and yanked them off behind the protective ravine wall.

    It was just in time, too. Just as they all fell into a pile off to the side, the stampede rushed past them, missing them by mere inches, barreling past and creating a wall of living rhino, trapping them in. At this proximity, the roar of their hooves was nearly deafening, and the space where they sat, all of them cramped and breathing hard, provided only _just_ enough space to keep their talons from being chopped off.

    The relief that surged through Teba made his head dizzy. Safe. They were safe. Both of them.

    For a moment, they all just sat there, stunned into silence, staring with wide eyes at the scene in front of them. It was then that Teba realized their exact position.

    The three of them sat in a line; Tulin on the left, Teba in the middle, then Revali, all facing the same direction. Without remembering consciously making the decision, Teba saw that he had placed a bracing wing on Tulin and Revali each, pressing them back and covering their chests. Revali seemed to realize this at the same time as Teba and sent him a slight glare, but the older Rito did nothing to move his wings.

    “We need to get out of here,” Teba called over the cacophony of storming hooves. He looked around, though there wasn’t much point. Their position was clear; nowhere to get a running start for a takeoff, and no path to climb up behind them.

    “Wait, no, we should wait until the stampede has passed,” he concluded. Only, as soon as he finished his sentence, a small chunk of the wall broke off as one rhinoceros rammed into it before falling in with the rest. Seconds later, it happened again, and the three of them had to pull their feet in.

    “There’s no time.” Revali pushed off Teba’s wing and shifted to kneel.

    A wind swooped down the valley, brushing under all their feathers, and circled around Revali; then another, then another, until a whirlwind of blustering gusts completely surrounded him.

    Teba realized, a little belatedly, that this was the Gale.

    Of course, he had seen Revali had perform the Gale before, but he had done it in split seconds. Something more casual and gaining moderate heights (though by all means still more impressive than anything Teba could have dreamed of.) This though… he had never seen the winds actually come together, bending at his will, nearly consuming him.

    In the blink of an eye, the winds shot directly upwards, but in the time it took them to switch direction, Revali had hooked his talons onto Teba’s and Tulin’s quiver belts, and as he ascended towards the sky, so did they.

    And just as they departed, the last of the wall broke apart into rubble and dust as another Great-Horned Rhinoceros smacked its horn into it, hardly braking in it stride.

    The ascent was so quick, it nearly knocked the breath out of Teba. He hardly had the chance to look at what was happening before he was suddenly a Rito Stone’s height from the valley ground and then dropped into the air. Instantly, he spread his wings and stayed in place, spying Revali, still clutching Tulin, hovering just above him. Upon unspoken agreement, they both swooped down back towards the camp. As they landed, Revali carefully dropped Tulin on the ledge, almost falling over in the unfamiliar process, before his own touchdown. Teba immediately bent down and grabbed Tulin by his shoulders.

    “Are you alright?” He checked him over, despite knowing they had all safely escaped the stampede.

    “M-hm,” Tulin nodded tightly, his eyes wide and his wings shaking. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.” His breath came fast as he stared down at the crash that _still_ stormed by, the cloud of dust thickening even at the height of their ledge.

    Another wave of relief washed over Teba.

     _Tulin’s okay. Tulin’s unharmed._

    That surging instinct as a protector of the Rito, and the other instinct, the one that ran even deeper - as a father - was soothed slightly.

    Then he stood and turned to Revali, his wings hesitantly out in front of him, unsure if Revali would appreciate the same gesture.

    Revali looked down at the stampede as well, rigid.

    “Are you alright?”

    Revali didn’t answer, still staring below.

    “Revali.”

    Revali snapped his head up with startled eyes.

    “What?”

    “Are you alright?”

    “I- _Yes._  Obviously.”

    “Dad!”

    Teba turned.

    “Are _you_ okay?” Tulin rapidly scratched the ground with his talon, eyes boring into Teba’s.

    “Yes,” and Teba kneeled down again. “Yes, I’m okay.”

    Without getting up, he looked at Revali, who looked down at him, eyes still wide. Teba then looked to Tulin, who looked from him to Revali. Their breaths all raced, heavy and uneven.

    Then they all shared one look, and _burst_ into laughter.

    It was the sweetest release Teba had felt in a long time. All of them snickered and snorted and when they looked at each other only doubled over again. They had nearly been _trampled_ , seconds to spare before death, and they sat here, hardly a scratch on them, gasping in heaps of dusty air, tears spilling over from their eyes, hearts pounding to the point where it should have been audible across the canyon, adrenaline coursing so forcefully through veins, Teba felt as though they would burst.

    After a minute, they calmed, still gulping in nervous breaths, still smiling.

    “Wow,” Teba finally said. “You know, I’ve got to be honest. After all my years as a leader of the Rito Warriors, I have never come that close to being flattened by a stampede of rhinoceros.”

    “Really?” Revali managed, sitting up and still chuckling. “Then Rito Village certainly hasn’t seen much action in the past one hundred years.”

    They locked eyes, and for a moment, Teba felt like nothing in the world could touch them. Like they were above everything, above the whole world, looking down, feeling everything. He grabbed Tulin and smothered him in a bear hug against his side. Tulin squawked and protested.

    “Hylia above,” he breathed, “that was…”

    “Awesome!” Tulin jumped up and pumped a curled wing in the air. “That was so _awesome_!” He giggled and plopped down again.

    “Tulin,” Revali waved a wing to get his attention while still looking off in the direction of the crash. “I believe you wanted some target practice?”

    Tulin’s grin was wider than the valley in which they sat.

 

    They had all flown over a little ways southeast, following the stampede, before they found another ledge from which to shoot. There, they all strung arrows and released, over and over, every single shot hitting its mark; it was hard to miss in a swarm. Tulin actually managed to wound one’s leg, slowing it down considerably, before Teba finished the job.

    When the last of the rhinoceroses left, they flew down to pick up their meat.

    After that, they headed back to the camp for lunch.

    They now sat in a triangle, plates stacked with oily servings of trout and bass, paired next to some handfuls of nuts and berries.

    Tulin had pulled out his pad of paper.

    “Revali,” he flapped his wings in the air, a bit of nut flying from him beak, “look, look at this.” He placed the paper on the ground in between them and put a pencil at Revali’s feet.

    Teba noticed that he no longer addressed him with the title of champion.

    “There’s a game that Mollie taught me called River Jump. It’s a strategy game where you place rivers over the world according to geography and use them as a way to travel and you need to get to certain places on the map to win but also not let natural disasters destroy your rivers. It needs at least two players but I can’t play with my dad because he’s terrible at it.”

    Revali snorted and Teba held himself up.

    “I beg your pardon-”

    “But you and me can- I mean, you and I can play so we can show him how to do it better. Wanna play?”

    “Oh, I’d love to,” keeping his eyes on Teba purposefully, Revali shifted his position so that he now faced Tulin. “After all, it really can’t be that hard of a game, can it?”

    Teba rolled his eyes. “Just wait,” he mumbled into his water bottle.

    He was decidedly pleased when not five minutes later, after brief instructions and eager pencil sketching, that Revali cried out in dismay.

    “You cheated!”

    “Nope!” Tulin giggled. He began to tear out the paper they had been working on.

    “You _absolutely_ did. There’s no way you could have-”

    Tulin shoved the paper in Teba’s face. “Dad, look what he did.”

    Teba looked. Then he laughed. “Well, it’s no wonder.”

    “You bent the rules to your interest,” Revail insisted.

    “You didn’t even follow the rules!” Teba and Tulin retorted in unison.

    Teba laughed again. Revali may have been the most skilled archer in all of Hyrule, but his spacial planning strategies on paper left something to be desired. And he knew it, too, if the bristling of his feathers was anything to go by.

    Revali huffed. “It’s a silly game.”

    Tulin shrank sightly. He picked up the paper pad and rubbed it with his thumb feathers. “…Do… you not want to play again?”

    The hesitation in his voice was thick, and Teba looked to Revali.

    Tulin was an only child. Which wasn’t to say that there were no other fledglings in Rito Village, but it did mean that he spent most of his nights on his bed, sketching out maps in his journals and creating characters that played the games with him. The other fledglings, well, he got along with them well enough, but there was always something about the idea of a large - or even moderately sized - group of other kids that had Tulin coming home early from outings with peers. Even the one on one adventures seemed to breed an uneasy feeling in the little Rito, and so home he would come to play with his characters. That time he had gone with the rest of the fledglings to find Revali had been surprising in itself.

    Today had been the first time Teba actually saw Tulin laugh outside of the sole company of his mother or father, and the significance of it did not pass by him. He realized that part of the today’s euphoria must have come at least partly from the fact that Tulin had smiled more, stood taller, lost the title of champion on his speech.

    This was… different.

    Nice.

    He wondered who was more anxious for Revali’s answer; Tulin or himself.

    But Revali only rolled his eyes. “What kind of a questions is that? Of _course_ I want to play again. I have to redeem myself, don’t I?”

    Tulin let go of a huge breath, his face brighter than the sun. “Ok!”

    And they both bent over to sketch out their maps on the paper.

 

    After lunch, Tulin fell asleep.

    In the shade of the ravine with the warmth of the sun and still sizzling rocks, Teba couldn’t blame him. Aside from that, their day had already been… eventful, to say the least.

    Teba sat restringing his bow while Revali stood a few feet to the side doing the same.

    The younger Rito hadn’t said anything in a while, and Teba wondered if the developing joviality would persist with just the two of them for company.

    Finally, Revali finished stringing up his magnificent bow and sat, still not saying a word.

    Teba looked at him out of the corner of his eye, wondering if anyone else had ever seen this side of Revali, wondering if anyone ever _would,_  and found himself once again questioning Revali’s future and place in this world.

    In a way, it was as if there had been no one hundred year time gap. Ganon was back, the champion’s were back, Zelda and Link were back. And once more, the fate of Hyrule was uncertain. But Teba shook his head, refusing to allow himself to wallow - brooding did nothing, and besides, they had a plan. As good a plan as they could come up with in their limited time, anyway.

    Then Teba remembered, with a jolt panic, exactly what the plan entailed and was about to suggest to Revali that they head back about now when he turned and saw him, really saw, him, and kept his beak closed.

    Revali stared down into the ravine below, apparently lost in thought, a ghost of a smile on his face. He eyes moved searchingly, but Teba could tell, perhaps from his own experience, that he did not see the valley floor, that this was the searching of the mind, and if Teba had waved a wing before him, he might not have noticed at all.

    Distracted. Smiling. Feathers running along the body of his bow.

    It was good.

    Teba let out a long breath, then stood.

    “Care to come with?”

    Revali, as expected, did not notice. Teba tilted his head and smiled.

    “Champion Revali.”

    Revali startled and looked up, any contentment instantly drained from his eyes. A scowl took its place.

    “Do you have _any_ concern for-”

    “I believe someone wanted to see my archery skills?”

    Revali stopped. He looked at Teba’s bow in wing and quiver of retrieved arrows. Then he gave a small grin.

    “Yes. Yes, I believe I did.”

 

    They flew a bit further than where they had gone for archery practice earlier. Farther down the ravine, where the rocks were sharper and the overhang blocked out more or the sunlight which now crawled steadily downwards in the sky, they landed to scout for suitable targets. After a minute of placing around, they found it.

    A boulder had fallen to the side of one of the walls, wedged between two smaller piles of stone, secure and in place. The boulder must have had at least a dozen perfect indents in it, narrow holes, either natural or created in the boulder’s tumble, lined the side facing outwards. It made the perfect target board, towering above them by somewhere around ten yards. Without needing to speak, they both stepped a ways back and began to shoot.

    After just two shots, Revali ceased drawing arrows and looked over at Teba. Teba didn’t stop shooting.

    He pulled back hard on the string. “So I’m being judged now, am I?”

    “That is the idea, isn’t it?”

    Teba released the arrow and shot him a mock glare. “I suppose that’s supposed to sound inviting?”

    “I suppose that’s supposed to be the most important thing here?”

    Teba shifted his bow into resting position. “Alright. What exactly are you looking for in a Rito Warrior leader?”

    Revali did not hesitate. “Accuracy, of course, and ability to predict the winds. These are physical abilities, mind you. There is a completely separate list for the personal qualities of a Rito Warrior leader.”

    Teba repositioned his bow and aimed for one of the higher holes. “And those would be…?”

    Revali cocked his head, looking him over as though there were some other question behind this. Finally, he said, “Integrity. Bravery. Passion… among others.”

    Teba stopped. “Passion?”

    “Of course.” Revali faced him head on now. “Obviously if you find yourself not caring, there will be nothing to keep you going.”

    Teba continued to stare until eventually, Revali turned away, snatched up an arrow, and fired at the boulder’s holes.

    “You care about Rito Village, don’t you.” Teba’s question was really… less of a question and more of a statement. But Revali heard nonetheless and, not taking his eyes from the target board, swiftly drew three arrows at once, his pace picking up.

    “It’s home. Of course I care.”

     _Whz!_

    The arrows shot by at light speed. Then, after a minute, he wavered in picking up another bundle.

    “Rito Village is… everything.”

    Then he looked down, and for a brief second, Teba could have sworn he saw a sad smile cross his face.

    “…Do you know the lighting of the homes? The one that happens at twilight?”

    Teba nodded.

    “They used to do that when I lived there. On my first night back, I was… relieved, I suppose, to see that it still happened.”

    Teba took a step closer. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

    “Yes,” Revali said after a moment, “it is.”

    Something willed Teba on, willed him to keep Revali talking, and keep him talking as just Revali.

    “And the smells in the evening?”

    Revali gave a huff of laughter. “Oh, yes. Aromatic, indeed.”

    “And the songs.”

    “…There’s not still a choir, is there?”

    “There is.”

    A small smile. “Ah. Good.”

    “When I get home, I’ll hear the choir practicing. Sometimes it helps me sleep. Other times it keeps me up.”

    Revali snorted. “Well, they are fledglings, after all. I’m sure they’ll improve with time.”

    “Rito Village _is_ … home, isn’t it.”

    Revali only nodded this time.

    It was silent.

    The sun must have dipped to a point where it no longer shone into the ravine at all. The layers of shade round them darkened further and the air became cooler. A couple of pebbles tumbled from the wall.

    Teba could no longer keep himself from asking. “Revali… did you… have any family?”

    At that, Revali’s head snapped up and he stared as though Teba had asked the question in another language. Then he immediately reached for an arrow in his quiver and froze when he found he had none left.

    Teba furrowed his brow, waited.

    Revali, with no arrows to preoccupy his wings settled for setting his fingers on his belt and looking at the target board.

    “A mother and a father. No siblings. Or any other relatives.”

    Teba hesitated, then strode on, “And… what were they like?”

    It was as though someone had taken a photo of Revali and replaced his physical form with the image. He stood absolutely still, not moving a single muscle. Even his feathers seemed to flatten against him. Then-

    “Disciplinary,” was all he said.

    “Were they there to witness you becoming a Champion of Hyrule?”

    Revali’s shoulder’s tightened. “No.”

    Somehow, it became even quieter. It felt like they truly had been separated from the rest of the world, the ravine the only existing plane, empty and dark. Tense and hushed.

    “They…” Revali started, then stopped. He looked around the ground as if the rights words were hidden just beneath the layers of dust. A bitter smile appeared on his face. “They didn’t… exactly _approve_ of… my decision to become a warrior. So… even if they had been around… for the announcement ceremony, I seriously doubt they’d have come.”

    Again, silence thick as the stone around them filled in the empty space.

    And without needing to hear any more, Teba understood.

    Not entirely from the words, that was; there was still much to be revealed in that regard. But Teba could see his face, his eyes, his posture, hear his voice, and was given an ample image of two parents with their little son, plucking a bow from his wings, faces tight.

    Something twisted in his stomach.

    “Hey, listen,” he said slowly, and this time he hoped with all of his entire being that he was getting Saki’s tone right, “I’m sorry that happened.”

    Revali gave a slow and absent nod, his eyes distant. He didn’t actually seem to be hearing Teba. Then he blinked several times and suddenly straightened.

    “It’s fine. It was fine. It didn’t matter- _doesn’t_ matter.” Quickly, he brushed down his feathers and looked around as though just realizing where they were. “I- I don’t even know why we’re talking about it.”

    Teba said nothing.

    “It’s not important anyway. They’re long gone. And- and anyhow, it’s beginning to get dark. We should head back. That is, if you want to stay perfectly on track with your precious, fastidious warrior schedule and escape the elder scolding you.”

    It was a weak attempt at a bite, but Teba played it.

    “Well, you know me. A regular goody two shoes over here.”

    Revali snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

    They collected the fallen arrows and turned back in the direction of the camp. Before they departed, Revali cleared his throat.

    “I suppose you have decent aim, as it is.” He had regained the haughtiness in his voice, the one that made it sound as if he was always talking down to you from some high throne. Teba focused more on the words.

    “Well, I suppose that is decent praise coming from a Rito Champion.”

    Revali turned his head to him, considering. “Hold yourself higher when you walk around with a bow on your back, though. It’s in your interest for when battle comes.”

 

    When they arrived back at the camp, Tulin was just waking up, rubbing his eyes with slow movements.

    “Mmm. Dad? What time is it?”

    “Time to go home, my warrior. Pack up your things.”

    They collected their plates and bottles, shoving garbage into the sides of the pack and wrapping up the meet from the rhinoceroses. When they had finished, Teba slung the bag on his back and bent down for Tulin. The little Rito climbed on, still blinking sleep from his eyes, settling in and curling up with an arm wrapped tightly over his father’s shoulder.

    Revali was looking at them.

    When Tulin’s eyes closed and his breathing evened out, Revali spoke quietly.

    “He can’t fly?”

    Teba raised an eyebrow. “No, he’s five.”

    Revali stared blankly.

    “Meaning he’s exactly where he should be,” Teba continued.

    Revali squinted and Teba rolled his eyes.

    “Okay, how old were you when _you_ learned to fly, oh Great Warrior?” He could have playfully nudged Revali with his elbow, but refrained at the memory of his flinching.

    Revali was looking at Tulin. “Three years old. Maybe a little less.”

    “Ah,” Teba bumped up Tulin on his back a bit and bent down to pick up a fallen pencil, “well, _that_ explains your light speed flying.”

    At that, Revali’s mouth tugged upwards, “Yes, that’s what seventeen years of flying gets you.”

    Teba froze mid bend.

    Wait.

    No.

    Absolutely not.

 _Absolutely_ **_not_** _._

“Alright there?” Revali leaned against the little wall of the ledge. He appeared to be trying to look unimpressed, but his eyes flicked a bit anxiously back and forth between Teba’s own.

    Teba left the pencil and came back up.

    “Twenty.”

    Revali blinked. “What?”

    “Twe- you were twenty- Hylia above, _no.”_ His chest burned. “What in the world were they thinking?”

    Revali’s eyes widened and his feathers bristled. “Did I say seventeen? Ignore that. It’s incorrect. What I meant to say was-”

    “ _Revali-“_

    “Forget it. It’s trivial information.”

    Teba almost laughed. “It is anything _but.”_

    Revali stood taller. “It’s of _extreme_ unimportance, I assure you. My age does not determine my skill, if you hadn’t-”

    “That’s not what I’m _saying,_ ” and once again, Teba felt as though he was the only one understanding this, “The king of Hyrule sent you and Mipha off to lead the front lines when you were just _chil-_ ”

    “Dad?”

    Teba and Revali both swung their heads to Tulin who picked his head up and looked at them in turn.

    “What’s going on?” His grey eyes rounded.

    Teba shook his head. “It’s not important, Tulin, go back to sleep.”

    “Yes, precisely,” Revali kept his eyes on Teba, “It’s not important.”

 

    Teba wondered if he and Revali would ever have a flight together where there would be conversation throughout and not just short exchanges at the beginning and end. But this evening’s flight seemed to fall into the majority category as not a word was spoken all the way to the point of the Hebra Tower.

    Now, after their trip back, the sun melted behind the hills, and behind them, the moon poked out from behind thick clouds. It was ten times cooler back in the Hebra grounds and that familiar breeze shot through Teba’s feathers, only tonight, it seemed colder than it should have been. The winds went straight to his bones and even with Tulin on his back, he couldn’t help but begin to shake.

    Revali flew, as always, several yards ahead, silent and silhouette like.

    Something didn’t feel right, something in Teba’s gut said so. The world below them looked like it always did, Rito Village was in sight, and Vah Medoh sat still and unharmed on Rito Stone, and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was just… wrong. He could only assume that it was from how he had left things with Revali, their slight argument leaving a bad taste in his mouth, and he was about to call out to him (keeping in line with the tradition of talking only at the ends of flights, of course), when _it_ happened. And the second that _it_ happened, all possibility of having any conversation at all instantly vanished.

    A flock of Keese the size of a Hylian house darted directly over them from behind, making a beeline for Vah Medoh.

    Revali didn’t so much as pause in his flight to register what he saw and instead pounded his wings and dove straight down to the Village. Teba steepened his descent as well, trying to balance Tulin carefully while going as fast as possible.

    There was less than a second between the moment they touched down on Revali’s Landing and when they burst through the village, yelling.

    “ _Bomb arrows!_ ” Revali boomed, and had Teba’s heart not been pounding in his ears, he’d have been more startled by the sheer power the younger Rito’s voice could grow to. Now though, his thoughts were elsewhere. He yanked Tulin off his back and skidded to a stop by his house before pushing his son in.

    “Stay here,” he demanded, and ran out again without another word.

    “ _Where are the bomb arrows?_ ” Revali sprinted along the ramps, ten steps ahead of Teba.

    “ _Harth!_ ” Teba shouted.

    Everyone in the village turned their way, eyes wide and fearful. Some looked up at the mass of Keese and cried out.

    Harth poked his head out from his home, saw Teba and Revali coming, ducked back in, and emerged not three seconds later with a stash of bomb arrows in each wing. Again, without pausing at all, Revali snatched up a bundle from him and leapt into the sky, gusts swirling around him in a whirlwind.

    Teba grabbed the other bundle and turned around, “Everyone into a home _right now_! Warriors, come with me - Vah Medoh is under attack!”

    And with that, the scene before him erupted into chaos.

    Within the week since the meeting at Hyrule Castle, word had spread of Ganon’s part return, and it was widely understood the means he was using to get through to this world again. Now, with that understanding resurfacing, the entire village bolted in different directions, tripping over one another, screams filling the night sky, choking out any clear air.

    Harth re entered and exited his house once more and came out with more bomb arrows, tossing them to Soryne, Noal, and Ciera and they came running up.

    “What’s going on?”

    “The Keeses up by Vah Medoh! Go now!”

    And go they did. By the time they had reached the height of Vah Medoh, its back still flat and open, they could see Revali circling the Beast, drawing bombs arrows and delivering the explosives right in the cloud of Keeses that shrieked and swarmed the area. The warriors began doing the same, losing arrow after arrow into the monster cloud. After a minute of all of them circling, just barely keeping the swarm at bay, it seemed they had not made a single dent. It looked like just as many Keese as there were in the beginning, though they couldn’t say the same for their arrow supply.

    Teba shook with anger. The screams from below had not ceased, and in fact had only grown in volume, reaching them even where they flew. He found where each warrior was in relation to himself and shouted over the screams, over the shrieks of the Keese, over the throbbing of his heart.

    “This isn’t working! We need to-”

    But before he could finish, the swarm of Keese found their opening, and they took it.

    Between Soryne and Harth, the space widened just enough for them to dive through, and when they made it past the line of warriors, they flew straight into one of Vah Medoh’s openings and disappeared.

    Everyone froze.

    Time stopped.

    It felt as though they were in a dream, an unreal, wobbly, dizzy twilight.

    Teba thought he might be sick.

    And then, just as he was really beginning to think that some spell had been cast to freeze time, Revali dove down into the same entrance and disappeared as well.

    Then the rest of the world began to move again.

    “Teba! What now?”

    “What do we do?”

    Noal and Ciera looked to Teba with empty quivers.

    Teba couldn’t catch his breath. The air was too sharp and too cold and his quiver was too depleted and his heart was too fast and he _didn’t have an answer._

    He looked back at his team, at a complete loss.

     _Answer them._

_They’re depending on you._

**_Answer them._ **

    “We’ll go back down!” Harth shouted, and Teba felt a surge of both shame and relief shoot through him. “Only Champion Revali can board Vah Medoh. We’ll restock on arrows and come back for back up if he needs it when he emerges.”

    Then the rest of them flew downwards to the village but Teba stayed, held back by a summersalting mix of emotions and intentions and fears he didn’t all together understand. But he looked at Vah Medoh, and couldn’t bring himself to fly back down. Instead, on impulse, he shot towards the top of Rito Stone, scathing the top and nearly falling off. He picked himself up and found his balance. Then he looked up towards Vah Medoh’s head.

    “Vah Medoh,” his voice shook, wings trembling, “Vah Medoh, I- I know I’m not a champion. I’m not a pilot. But,” he swallowed, forcing his voice to steady as much as it could, “Revali, your pilot, he’s up there with you, and I think he’s in grave danger… I understand the rules, but please, Vah Medoh, he’s… he’s my friend. Please. I need to help him. Please.”

    He stood still, waiting for some sign or change, listening to the dead night air now that the village was indoors and huddled down. When no change occured, his heart plummeted to his talons and he was about to jump up into the sky again to see if he could spy Revali when Vah Medoh suddenly cried out, a sharp screech piercing through the sky. When Teba looked up, it’s eyes glowed a soft blue, and that, if nothing else, was a sign to him, a sign of acceptance, and he wasted no time in utilizing it.

    After flying up to the Beast’s back, he landed, placing his talons gently on the stone and instantly felt a power hum beneath him, almost vibrating. Once the Beast seemed it would not make any reaction to his presence, he sped to an opening in the side. As he entered the main room, he almost didn’t duck in time for a bomb arrow to fly over his head and out the door. It exploded mid air. He swiveled to face Revali who stood at the other end of the room with a horrified look on his face.

    “What in the name of Hy- _How did you get up here?_ ”

    Teba quickly glided over to him, “No time to explain. Where are the Keeses?”

    The younger Rito took another half second to stare before he shook his head and then nearly growled. “They completely disappeared. It’s as if they have some cloaking magic. They’re just _gone_.” Then he unhooked something from his belt and placed it over his head. It was a helmet of sorts, resembling the head of Vah Medoh, made of slick medal and thin, embellished stone. The eyes glowed blue.

    “What is that?”

    Revali reached behind him to tie the straps. “Divine Helm. It allows me to directly control Medoh.” When finished, it covered nearly all of his face, leaving only his beak uncovered. Swiftly, he knocked an arrow. “We should split up and search for them. You take the insides, I’ll search the outside walkways.”

    This time, he did wait for Teba’s response, and in any other situation, Teba would have smiled. But now he only nodded and drew out an arrow, walking away along the inside ramps while Revali jumped up and flew out an opening.

    The whirring of the Beast stayed low and steady, and Teba was grateful for it. His chest ached now from the wild beating of his heart and his breath seemed to block out any other noise. But the constant hum beneath his feet was distantly soothing. Unfortunately, however, in the bigger picture, the grip on his arrow was so tight, he thought he might rub the fletchings off.

    Then an explosion sounded from above.

    Teba turned and bolted, stuffing the arrow back into his quiver to spread his wings and fly to the outer area of Vah Medoh. When he arrived, another explosion nearly knocked him to the ground. He waved the smoke away and found Revali drawing a steady stream of arrows into the reappeared mass of Keeses. His body was stiff, movements rigid, not at all aligning with the fluid and elegant firings he had shown earlier that day in Rodor’s Ravine. His eyes raged with fire.

    Teba drew an arrow and was about to fire when the mass of Keeses ducked down near him, and the bomb that went off threw him across the grassy stone.

    The world spun, the night sky and the beast beneath him became one blue-grey swirl, and when he skid to a stop, his side burned angrily. He attempted to sit up, sucking in a breath when his torso protested the movement. When he looked down, he found a burn on his right side, not too severe and not to big, but definitely enough to make his clench his beak hard and scrunch his eyes before he could breathe in deep. When he opened his eyes, he saw Revali fire his last arrow into the mass, hit them directly, deliver zero damage, and then stand openly, lost, looking up at the monsters.

    The Keeses shrieked one more time before making a dive for the main terminal. They swarmed around it, wings beating against those of others, chittering and giving smaller cries. Then a magenta light glowed around them, dull and small at first, and then larger, brighter, _louder._ It hummed, not at all like Vah medoh, high pitched and ear piercing. It grew and grew, swallowing the terminal and the Keeses and then-! It blinked out of existence. The Keeses all dropped to the floor, falling into a lifeless pile. A moment of dead silence passed. Then the light exploded and engulfed everything around them. It showered them in blinding pink, pulsing and humming so fervently Teba pulled his wings to his ears, desperate to block out the noise.

    But then Revali was screaming.

    Screaming a horrific, blood curdling scream, backing up, tearing violently at the Divine Helm on his head but being unable to remove it. The eyes now glowed dark red, potent in color like two blood moons.

    Teba tried to jump up but fell over on his side again, his wound hissing in agony.

    Everything was _too loud and too bright and-_

    Once again, the light disappeared, and in the split second it took for the harsh magenta to dissipate, Revali, while still standing, went otherwise entirely limp.

    An icy wind crossed the top of Vah Medoh. Teba held his breath.

    Finally-

    “Well, well,” a low rumble of a voice echoed against the stone, and when Teba realized where it was coming from, he couldn’t breathe.

    “Hyrule…” the voice came directly from Revali’s mouth, but was definitely _not Revali,_  “It’s been too long.”

     Revali-who-was-not-actually-Revali began to pace slowly, his movements tranquil as though he was taking a stroll on a still summer’s evening. “I do hope you remember me. I myself must admit I’ve missed you dearly. So much, infact, that I’ve come back with a surprise, just for you.” He walked to the edge of Vah Medoh looking down. “I have to thank you, I really do. I’ve learned so much in the past one hundred years. It’s helped me to figure out just the _perfect_ chess move.” He smirked. “Don’t bother planning yours, this one’s a checkmate, you have my word.” Whatever was controlling Revali forced him to raise his arms high above him. “I _will_ attain absolute power, but this time,” and he grinned so wide it hurt to look at, “I will do it through the four Champions of Hyrule.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! You made it! Aaaah ~ you're all probably aware of how elated I am that you're still here. That fact will not change. Ever.
> 
> Mmmmmm. Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Fun random stories?? Have an excellent rest of your day and subsequent day and also the day after that.


	7. Medoh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES AT BEGINNING HAVE BEEN UPDATED (re: cultural appropriation/insensitivity : "Rito" changed to "characters/towns/races")
> 
> Alrighty folks, we're gonna take a quick break here. An intermission of sorts if you will. We'll get to mind-zapped Revali in the next chapter (chapter eight is already on my computer and I am so excited to finish and share it)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this for now.
> 
> SPLOILERS FOR CHAMPIONS' BALLAD. I took excerpts from Revali's diary. (go see Revali's cutscene - words can't do it justice)
> 
> Thank you all a thousand times for sticking around ~

     _There is a persistent rumor in town that Calamity Ganon's resurrection is imminent. It can't be true... Right? A few years ago, scientists dug up an ancient mechanical beast called Medoh. It was supposedly used to fight Ganon. Hyrule's royal family is in search of someone to pilot the beast. They say to do so requires something beyond skill. They say one's soul must contain an incredible sacred power for a Divine Beast to recognize them as master. They should have just asked for me by name. To control the Divine Beast and defeat the Calamity...would finally allow me to prove myself to the world._

 

    Revali remembered the very first time he saw Medoh.

    The images and sounds of that day were forever ingrained in his head; he didn’t think he’d ever lose even a second of the memory. The delicate morning light, the cool breeze that blew under his feathers, the rumble that felt like thunder as the creature like machine appeared on the horizon and maneuvered across the sky.

    Word had been sent out to all citizens of Hyrule that the Divine Beasts, as they called them, were set free to wander around the land in the purpose of reviving their rusty engines and shaking off soot. They would do no harm, the message had said, simply let them be. They will go where they will - we do not completely understand them yet.

    Now, the sole one of the four that was able to travel the skies headed in the direction of Rito Village. All the Rito had noticed, too. They peeked out from the windows of their homes and gathered on the decks, beaks open. The fledglings squirmed and giggled.

    It was a _titanic_ creature.

    At this distance, from the outside, it appeared bulky, heavy, thick with old, crumbling stone that it seemed nothing short of a miracle that the thing supported itself in air. But as it got closer, Revali spied the designs which laced intricately around the creature’s wings and chest. He saw the elegance in its steady span and the controlled power which glowed from its eyes.

    Then, it came to be above the village and started on an invisible, circular track. It blocked out the light of the sun and erupted with a shattering cry.

    And Revali remembered this moment _very clearly_ , not only because for a split second did he think he’d never seen a creature so beautiful and so strange and was entirely captivated, but because the rest of the Rito cringed back, wings over their ears and faces pinched. He alone stood, tall and mezmorized, _adoring_ the sound. In a way, it felt uncannily familiar, like the cry had come from inside his chest rather than from thousands of feet above him in the sky. And in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to grab onto the reins of the beast and drive it straight into battle.

 

_Hyrule's princess is coming by to ask for my answer tomorrow. She will surely be overcome with joy when I accept. And her timing is exceptional. I am close. So close to mastering my new move and showing everyone what I'm capable of._

 

    Of course, the actual _meeting_ part could have gone better.

    Days and even weeks later, Revali would look back on it and feel his face burn.

    That day of the meeting, Revali’s feet would not sit still. His new ability was still shaky, still throwing him off course, and the princess would be there in a matter of hours.

    So he picked up his Great Eagle Bow and shot over to the Flight Range. When he arrived, he resolved to _not stop practicing_ , not until it was absolutely _perfect._ Even when the winds tossed him into the mountain cravises or snow piles that stood twice his height, he would not, and _could_ not, give up. One time, the winds yanked him out of the whirlwind and threw him backwards onto the sharper edges of the mountain side. This time, nature had not left any room for any reflex, and upon impact, he could have sworn the backs of his upper arms blazed with real fire. When he hit the ground, he immediately felt the wounded area with his fingertips, sucking in through a clenched beak as the uneven pattern stung in reaction.

    Tentatively, he moved his arms.

    They seemed to work.

    It might scar underneath, but his arms worked just fine.

    So he got up and tried again. (If the world tilted a bit when he stood, he didn’t acknowledge it.)

    This was his chance, maybe his only chance, at proving to the world just what he could do. It was his chance to show Rito Village, to show his fellow warriors, to show Hyrule’s royal family, to show his parents - damn them wherever they were - that he _could do it._ He _was_ worthy of recognition in his talents. He _was_ the greatest Rito Warrior ever to be. And he would show it through acquisition of this highly regarded position. If he failed to do so… well, they’d have been right, his parents. He would be just another failure with his head in the clouds. And, honestly, the idea terrified Revali so much he genuinely did not know what he would do if it happened.

    So he practiced again and again. The sun, white and hot beyond the snow clouds, trailed steadily above him. Time was nonexistent, but somewhere along the way, Revali’s wings began to ache, throbbing and twice as heavy as they should be. His lungs shook and burned with cold. And the power was still not ready.

    With labored breathing, he kneeled down one more time, forcing his lungs to work properly.

     _You’re weak._

    He stared with burning eyes at the white ground.

     _You won’t be able to do it._

    He spread his wings, beak once again clenched hard.

     _You’re nothing but a failu-_

    But Revali had sprung up into the air before the voices could finish.

    The air rushed past him in a brilliant burst of cold and the mountains fell behind him. He climbed higher, higher, higher than he had ever gone before, his course on track - yes, this could be it! This could be-

    Without warning, the winds came bashing into him and knocked him out of the updraft, spinning him round a few times before spitting him onto the snowy ledge.

    Lying there, face in the snow, every part of his body screamed at him to not get up, to stop, to _please rest,_ **_please_**.

     _But_ **_that_** , the voices said, _would be_ **_failure_** _._

    So, with trembling talons, he raised himself to his knees, eyes closing as the powdery mountains started to spin.

    “ _Not enough_ ,” he grit out, breath spreading in little white puffs. “I must stay in the eye of the whirlwind… must push myself harder…”

    Then a footfall caught his immediate attention and he turned his head sharply, taking in the princess and two guards standing at the entrance of the Flight Range.

    No one moved.

    The princess gazed at him, apparently unsure of whether or not she should step closer. Her face, nose and cheeks pink from the cold, was unreadable, and Revali wanted to hate her for it.

    His feathers stood on end and underneath a red tint flushed over his skin. More through instinct than thought, his impulse was to push the blame onto her. After all, it wasn’t _his_ fault she had the rude habit of sneaking up on people when they were clearly busy.

    “You know, your highness…” Revali began to stand all the way up (and dammit, why weren’t his legs working like they should?) “...it’s rude to eavesdrop.”

    He made it all the way standing, but faced away from Zelda, not trusting that the red flush couldn’t be seen, even with his plumage. He took another few breaths, watching the clouds dissipate before him.

    “My apologies,” Zelda began, “I went to the village and I was told I could find you here.” The snow crunched beneath her feet as she took a step forward.

    Revali hummed to himself. ‘Told she could find _him_ here,’ hm? So. She had come looking specifically for him. He knew this of course - it was why he had come out here to practice - but hearing it from Zelda herself gave the fact a more solid reality, and he felt the red tint fade.

    “You have need of me. To defeat Calamity Ganon, yes?” He finally turned to face her, and now noticed the outfit she wore: a thick, white coat under a gold rimmed shawl blowing lightly around her shoulders. A small bow, bluer than the sky on a clear summer’s day, hung from it, catching his eye. He blinked away.

    “To slay the beast once and for all… It will be my great pleasure.”

    Zelda’s shoulders fell visibly and she breathed out. “Thank you, Revali.” She held out a gloved hand, “If we work together, I’m certain we’ll be able to defeat-”

    “ _However!_ ”

    Once more he turned back to the mountains and kneeled, spread his wings, took one small breath, then _pulled_ with all his might at the winds from the sky. Right away, a whirlwind twisted around him, and, raising his wings for the takeoff, he pushed away from the ground, shooting into the sky so fast his eyes burned. Exactly like last time, he made it past the mountain tops when he felt a slight tug from the winds at the side, threatening to tear him out again. But this time, he thrust his right wing around and balanced himself just in time for the whirlwind to push him all the way to the tip of the sky where he burst through the top of the soft, snowy clouds, emerging out in…

    Oh.

     _Oh._

    It was _beautiful_.

    His body spread to keep him in place, the world below him became a painting. The colors softened under the daylight that had just begun to dim, creating a canvas with delicate strokes of white and grey. Around him, the air was perfectly silent, but it was a welcome silence that let him loosen his muscles, breathe deep. Then he began.

    Three targets.

    There, there, and there.

    His vision zoomed in, enlarging them.

    Perfect.

    He tucked in his wings and headed straight down, dislodging his Great Eagle Bow from his back and snatching it with his talons, trailing it behind him as he again tore through the whisps of clouds. He twisted backwards, releasing the bow, grabbing three arrows - explosives attached and ready to go - catching his bow once more, knocking, pulling, and then-

     _Whz!_

    The three arrows flew like hail down to their respective targets, erupting with flames in absolute unison. But when he landed, he didn’t stop. He jumped right back up with all the power of his winds and placed arrow after arrow into every single target, leaving them to crumble under falling stone with each explosion. When he passed above the princess, he couldn’t help but take immense satisfaction in her awed expression, wide eyes, mouth open.

    That was right.

    He did it.

    He _did_ it.

    An overwhelming shot of adrenaline zapped through his chest and briefly, he closed his eyes, taking it all in.

    Everything he had done working for this; those countless nights at the Flight Range practicing this ‘unattainable fantasy’… the unending vision in which he was able to prevail through the whirlwind, finally, _finally_ mastering the sky… the dreams that came to him every night, dreams of having the ability to tell his father and mother _I told you_ , _I_ ** _am_** _worthy,_ _I am, I_ ** _am_** , and ignoring the question that always came after, _can you love me now?_

    It was over now, because here he was, controlling the wind, and relishing every second.

    Finally, after delivering the last blow, he came down, perching with exaggerated elegance on the Flight Range deck. He found the princess and dipped body slightly, a wing coming to his chest.

    “I know I play the biggest part in helping that-” he cleared his throat, just barely refraining from rolling his eyes, “that little knight with the darkness-sealing sword. Correct?” He scrunched up his first two feathered fingers together, squinting next to them. If he was to be cast as ‘backup,’ then by Hylia he would call that ‘knight’ by any name he pleased. He didn’t wait for an answer, instead choosing to readjust his bow in wing and roll his neck. “Well, if he loses his confidence after seeing me in action, _don’t_ come crying to me.”

 

    Medoh was, admittedly, much larger up close, even more so than she had appeared from Rito Village. The propellers alone were twice the size of a house and the beak was long enough to stretch all the way across Lake Totori.

    Even now, as Revali landed on the great stone wings, he was still taking in just the sheer volume of Beast that there was. The wingspan was that of one hundred Rito lined hand to hand, and when his talons touched the stone, he felt a deep rumble under him.

    It should have startled him, but it didn’t. He almost… expected it.

    He peered around, found what appeared to be the main entrance, and walked in, his steps even and paced, taking his time looking around.

    Out on the deck of the wings, with a cloudless sky above, a gentle breeze ran across the surface, bending back the reeds of young grass and tossing loose moss over the edge. The warmth from the sun rose off of the stone and gathered at Revali’s cheeks. There was no other sound aside from the propellers and wind, and not a soul around for miles. The pure solitariness was something he quietly savored; he was finding it more and more difficult to find a space for just himself now that he had opened the Flight Range for the rest of the Rito.

    It wasn’t that he regretted this decision. Even if he were to go back in time, knowing it would lose him his private training space, he wouldn’t change his choice. It was the best training area ever built in Rito territory, and through that fact, it belonged to everyone. Ganon was a threat now, after all, and the skills of the warriors wouldn’t improve by themselves.

    But even knowing this, it didn’t stop him from letting out a breath, allowing himself to soak in the fact that this space, this Divine Beast, was all _his_.

    When he stepped inside, the air around him immediately cooled. The moss that spread over the stone extended to the floor inside, and his steps were muted as he crossed the greenery and headed to the main control room.

    This room was small. As he stood in it, sizing up its length, he found he could stretch his arms out and touch both walls, even allowing a bit of bend at the elbows. At the front of the room was a table, not at all decorated like the rest of Medoh, carved carefully with elegant swirls or standing tall with impressive height or width. This table actually reminded Revali of the one made of stone at the base of the Hebra Mountains, the one he would sit at while staying the night as a child. He would often make his way over to sharpen arrows and fix up his bow.

    Smooth, plain, low.

    He smiled even while still unsure of its use. Then he saw what hung above it. A helmet, crafted of thin stone and metal, boasted designs as beautiful as Medoh herself.

    This must be Divine Helm, he realized, those helmets that Zelda had described in agonizingly long detail as he waited for the permission to fly up to Medoh for the first time.

    Now, without a second thought, Revali plucked it off the wall (with a little more force than strictly necessary; he had thought it would be heavier) and brought it to his chest, rubbing his fingers over the eyes that reminded him of Lake Totori on a windless afternoon. Then, working quickly with the straps, he fastened it onto his head - a perfect fit - and when it was secure, he stilled.

    Something was happening.

    He could… feel something…

    Without warning, Medoh unleashed a deafening cry that must have shaken all of Hyrule, and Revali stumbled backwards, nearly smacking his Great Eagle Bow into the door frame. But he didn’t remove the helm. He couldn’t bring himself to. Instead, he let his eyes close and his body calm and he listened.

    There was someone… or something… there. Some other soul near him, he could feel it in his mind, bright and alive and crying out and then his eyes flew open and suddenly he could feel Medoh all around him. Not only physically, but all at once there was life running through this stone, some heartbeat, mechanical as it may  have been, thrumming through the chest, and breath entering the doors, flushing through, and escaping with the winds. This Divine Beast was _alive_.

    “Medoh,” he breathed.

    Yes.

    Yes, he could feel her.

    He lifted the helm from his head and was glad when he could still feel her presence even without the mask.

    “Well,” he mused, “alright, you’ve given yourself quite the entrance. Why don’t we see what else you’re capable of, besides giving champions heart attacks, hm?”

    Then he tipped the helm back on and, turning around, he was surprised to find the table lit up with patterns that hadn’t been there before, glowing a gentle blue. They snaked around the edges and down to the floor, disappearing into the stone.

    He placed a wing on it and the blue patterns pulsed, vibrant.

    Some kind of… control panel?

    “How about we see how fast you can go…”

    Revali took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then directed all of his power into his arm, transferring a burst of energy into the panel.

    Immediately, Medoh rushed forward, picking up such speed at such velocity that Revali was thrown back into the wall. It knocked the helm off his head and he laughed, struggling to stand up.

    Revali couldn’t remember the last time he laughed.

    As in, really, truly laughed.

    Sure, his smirks were more common than his breath and his snickers at others’ less-than-impressive performances at archery were loud enough for the other archers to hear, but that- that wasn’t laughter.

    This was laughter.

    And it was such a rare occurrence that it sounded foreign to even himself, and he distantly wondered how long it had been since he last heard the noise.

    Medoh had _thrown him against the wall_ , and while in any other case he’d have been absolutely livid, he could see that he had technically been the one to cause it, and no one was watching. Well, no one other than Medoh, and the very second Medoh came to life, came to touch his soul, she became, extraordinarily, an exception.

    He didn’t mind her watching. Her company was… different than that of any other Rito he had experienced.

    Perhaps he could uncover this mystery a time progressed, but now he stood all the way up and eased his body, slowing his mind, and as he did so, Medoh copied and returned to a comfortable pace.

    “Well then, I’m glad we both agree what qualifies as ‘fast.’” He stooped to pick up the helm before stepping out of the control panel room. He hopped up to the main deck again.

    “You should see some of the other Rito. Their fastest is half my moderate speed.” He breathed in the afternoon breeze and watched the mountain shadows stretch along the lake. “It’s not their fault, you understand. They didn’t choose to have a fraction of my abilities. But even still, they’re not like us, Medoh.” Revali peeked over the edge and grinned at how far they gone in that short burst of speed. “No, not like you and me.”

    

    “How did it go?” Zelda skies later. “Did- did Vah Medoh choose you? Will you be able to pilot her?”

    Revali allowed himself a small grin. “Yes, I believe so.”

 

_I journeyed to Hyrule Castle for an inauguration ceremony. I now bear the grand title of "Champion." Meaningless pomp, if you ask me. If true strength relied only on title and uniform, everyone would be a Champion. I do like the blue scarf, though... That annoyingly silent knight was as emotionless as usual. I can never tell what's on his mind. Likely nothing at all. Somehow I can't help but believe the stories about him beating adult knights in swordplay when he was only a child. Still, he doesn't stand a chance against me. There is no one alive who can keep up with my aerial combat. That reminds me. It's about time I came up with a fitting name for that new move I created. What kind of name would be worthy? Revali's...something. Tornado? Whirlwind? Masterpiece? Hmm._

 

    The late afternoon sun shed warmth onto the pavilion, bouncing up off of the paved pathways and onto the faces of the champions. Around them, only a wall of vine ridden stone and a crashing waterfall appeared. No other people. Not even the guards that seemed to draw their life blood from walking in Zelda’s shadow.

    They were alone.

    Revali had thought being alone with these five would have made his skin crawl, but he was finding, oddly enough, that he… didn’t actually mind so much. He even caught himself once or twice slipping into his thoughts, something he did only when entirely relaxed. Perhaps it had to do with what Daruk had said, about these formal events draining their energy. Revali straightened and sniffed. It was unwise to let his guard down, especially among powerful fighters he didn’t know, even if they were trusted by the princess and the king; he could never be too careful. And ‘trusting’ others and ‘forming bonds’ and ridiculous things of the like had never landed in his area of interest anyway.

    He breathed in deep, regaining his focus.

    Behind him, Daruk spoke separately to that silent knight whom Revali had pointedly ignored since arriving at the castle. While he might have felt relaxed earlier, he was finding that just catching a glance of this knight could still set him on edge.

    So he continued to satisfy himself ignoring and being ignored. That knight wasn’t getting any of his attention, no way. Instead, he looked for something far more deserving on which to focus, and found it. He plucked the Sheikah Slate from Zelda’s hands and turned it over in his wing.

    “Hmph. So this is the Sheikah Slate, eh?” It wasn’t all that impressive, considering what he’d heard about it, what with the tall tales of teleportation and other such unimaginable things. He squinted at it, hoping perhaps there was some detail he was missing.

    “It it,” Zelda said, “Apparently there are more uses for it than we originally thought.” She looked at the ground. “Sadly, we’ve yet to decipher all of its secrets.”

    Well. That was disappointing. What was the point of this ‘incredible’ new technology if it couldn’t be utilized? Revali inwardly rolled his eyes. Leave it to the royal family to get their hands on a powerful tool only to have that tool fall utterly useless.

    He dumped it in the hands of the Zora princess… Mipha wasn’t it?

    She gazed at it as Urbosa leaned in to look as well.

    “The princess showed me something strange recently,” Urbosa said, “Somehow it can create true to life images.”

    Revali blinked at looked at the slate once more. Now, that _was_ impressive. Apparently, Mipha was thinking the same thing as she held it closer to her face and gasped.

    “Wow,” a little grin appeared on her face “I’d love to see it.”

    She looked up at Zelda, hesitant, rubbing her thumbs over the top of the slate, and Revali squelched away the desire to see the true to life images as well. It was enticing, certainly, but even more so was the air of superiority and being above interest in someone else’s possession. But then even that didn’t stop the slight relief that came when Mipha asked for a ‘special favor.’

 

    “Keep your eyes on the Shiekah Slate, everyone!”

    It was stupid.

    Really, really stupid.

    But the feeling was there.

    No matter how hard he had tried to get rid of the thought, to the point of looking over at Link for some kind of distraction, he couldn’t help but feel that he shouldn’t be there with the other champions.

    Which of course was _ridiculous_. He more than anyone else deserved to to bear the title, despite it being, yes, meaningless pomp. It was a _position_ , an ineffably crucial one to the outcome of the battle, a position that _he_ earned, and _he_ shouldn’t be the one smothering the urge to fly away. Because the others were leaders. Because the others were royalty. Because the others had more powerful swords.

    He cringed.

    Hylia above, why was he thinking about that?

    But then the thoughts tumbled deeper yet, bringing into focus that fact that the others had had their powers for much longer than he had had his, and how they were more stable, more confident, in using them. How they had people relying on them, much like he did now, but how they had had practice with such demands ever since they were children, and Revali himself had been struggling with these pressures beginning only years prior. How they had official titles in addition to Champion of Hyrule. How they were more deserving.

    His entire body seized up.

    No.

    No, that’s wrong, he _was_ deserving. He was, he _was._ Hylia, what was wrong with him? Just relax, just forget it. It’s not a big deal. Just look at the Shiekah Slate.

    “Revali, move your tail closer to the group.”

    Revali perked up, blinked at Purah, then immediately took the opportunity to rid his body of any possible remaining tremor by rolling his eyes and groaning.

    “Ugh, _fine_.”

    He took a step to the left.

    “Mipha, you look so tense. Deep breaths, okay?”

    Revali peeked at the Zora princess.

    “Right!”

    He looked closer, and could see clearly the tension Purah had spoken of. Her face was tight and her eyes kept flickering between Link and her feet.

    In any other case, Revali would have gagged. _Romance_. And one for _Link_ at that. Utterly vile.

    But somehow, looking at her small face, her finned hands moving over her chest with her breath, her skittish gaze that he could tell she was earnestly trying to aim towards the slate, he couldn’t help but smile, just a little.

    There was… something about her. Just, something about her energy that made a little bit of his own tension seep from his shoulders.

    Perhaps, if he had time, he could reflect on it later, but now, he heard Purah ask for their attention again and he looked at the slate.

    This was it. This was be the image that would cement him into history as one of the most important fighters in all the history of Hyrule. The image that would persist for ages and ages to come, proof of his achievements and worthiness. This image would live on for all of time, showing him here, today, calm, composed, the epitome of confident soldier.

    “Click, snap!”

    The next thing he knew his beak was planted in the dirt.

 

     _The princess came to the village on official business, along with her shadow, that insufferable knight. I tried to talk to him while the princess met with the elder, but he was his usual quiet self. Why do people like him so? I also gave him the privilege of seeing me perform Revali's Gale. Nothing. No reaction at all to my impressive feat. I showed it to him even knowing there was a chance of failure, since it's still so new. He must truly be slow-witted. I tried to provoke him into facing me, but to no avail. It's like talking to a stone. Our interactions were a waste of time, so I flew off to find solace with Medoh. What's wrong with that guy?_

 

    Revali threw the great Eagle Bow off his back, shoving it on the pedestal at the front Medoh’s control room.

    “Unbelievable,” he spit, grabbing onto the Divine Helm, “Medoh, I swear he didn’t react at all. _At all_.”

    Left strap… light strap… tighten…

    “And he has the audacity to just stand there with that damned sword on his back, not saying a word. The entitled brat.”

    He shifted the helm on his head, stepping out of the control room and onto the main deck.

    “He hasn’t even done anything to deserve it, Medoh. For the love of Hyrule, he shouldn’t be the one who carries it!”

    All around him, Medoh hummed, and the noise echoed in his helm. He felt the energy pass through him, hearing and _feeling_ Medoh’s meaning. He groaned.

    “Don’t give me that tone. I am not ‘stepping out of line.’”

    Another sound, this time a muted cry.

    Revali just about choked on his own breath. “I am not _jealous_.”

    Silence.

    “Medoh.”

    Once more, only the wind and the propellers below the beast gave any sound. He sighed, squinting up at the bright sky through the helm.

    “I’m only saying that he hasn’t done anything to _deserve_ it, alright? I’m not saying _I_ should be the one to wield it.” He paused. “Although…”

    At that, Medoh swiftly tilted steep to the left, knocking Revali off balance before he just managed to dig his talons deep into grass instead of falling off into the abyss.

    Medoh then realigned to fly straight again, and Revali yanked off the Divine Helm, gaping at her.

    “ _You-!_ ” he started, then stopped. Then he felt himself grin. “You can control yourself even when I wear the helm, huh?”

    Medoh cried, sounding, Revali noted, a little satisfied with herself. He rolled his eyes placed the helm back over his head.

    “Well, my friend, point taken. Besides, I suppose the Great Eagle Bow needs an archer of my skill, doesn’t it? And who else could _possibly_ provide that?”

    This time, Medoh shook, a tremor shuddering down the Beasts’s whole frame and cried out again. Revali was just able to keep his balance this time, and he chuckled low to himself.

    “Okay, okay. And I prefer it up here with you.”

    A breath of wind tugged back his feathers and he stood taller, looking out at the sky laid before them.

    “Yes, I prefer it up here.”

    Suddenly he couldn’t even remember why he had been so upset.

    Damn Medoh.

 

    It had been pouring the whole day.

    Rainstorms, the likes of which came only from late autumn, hailed down on Rito Village and the hebra Mountains, falling too heavy and too fast to be turned into snow. This time of year, this far up north, the temperature dove into the negatives, and, if the ice hanging on the roof tops were anything to go by, still dropping. Medoh’s windows froze over and almost completely blocked out any view, the frost thick and crackling, and the puffs of steam that escaped from her engines lost their heat the within ten seconds of resting in the air.

    But inside Medoh, it was toasty. A heat, not so heavy it impaired breathing ability, but just enough to feel like a large blanket enshrouding you everywhere you walked, spilled throughout the hallways and every room. Revali sat with his legs up against the glass window wall, wings behind his head, listening the rain fall.

    “…and then I nearly set the place on fire. And that’s why I’m not allowed to buy fire arrows anymore.” Revali snorted. “I still do, of course. I know places that will sell to me. And there’s this one place in the east that recently sold me something called botania arrows. They wouldn’t tell me exactly what they did, only something about ‘the power of nature,’ but I suppose we’ll find out together, yes?” Revali waited for Medoh’s thrum. “Yes, I’m eager as well. It’s not often new types of arrows show up in Hyrule these days.”

    He paused. The rain of the Medoh’s roof sounded like a far off drum roll, steady and constant

    Over the past few weeks, he had grown rather fond of the Beast. For him, she was just the right amount of company, providing him with a training deck, a space far away from the world when he needed it, and the presence of another being, something he was beginning to find he didn’t actually despise so much.

    They had worked together, in a way. He practiced with her controls and exponentially increased the swiftness of her turns. She taught him the important lesson of always staying aware the changing location of his Beast even while in aerial combat and far away from her. They improved - together.

    Her energy was always there for him, he could feel her, with or without the helm, though of course he could only control her with it on. But he could always sense her, the feeling almost coming from deep inside him. He hadn’t paid much attention to what Zelda had said about the bond between pilot and Beast, but he was here now experiencing first hand the pure power in it.

    And, though he’d rather snap his bow than admit it aloud, he was glad to have her in his life, not just as an ally in battle, but as a friend.

    Then a thought occurred to him. Surely the champions and the princess and the knight were not only ones with the possible battle on their minds simply because they had real hearts and blood flowing through their veins. He remembered then that since the four Divine Beasts were alive, in a sense, as well, they would surely be thinking of it too.

    “Medoh, tell me, do you think what we have is enough to truly defeat Ganon?”

    At first, there was no response. Then, at the end of a full minute, when there was still no reply, no matter how Revali strained to hear her, the heat seemed to suddenly dissipate from the room, replaced with a frosty air to rival the weather outside.

    He sat up. “ _Medoh._ ”

    Then he felt her - a deep rumble, a slight shudder.

    “I didn’t ask what the princess thinks. I’m asking- forget it. It’s enough. I know it.” Then he slouched down again, his eyes no longer seeing the village or mountains, instead staring dully at the glass.

    “It has to be enough. It has to be, it _has_ to be…”

    Because while he heard one thing from her, their souls were connected, and he felt another.

 

     _No_.

    Hylia, **_no_**.

    This wasn’t supposed to be _happening._

    The second he landed on Medoh he ran for the door, blindly making his way through the halls, his wings on the walls, before bursting into the control room.

    His heart beat so forcefully it felt like it would jump right out of his chest at any moment and his throat shrunk and his head throbbed and he just _couldn’t get enough air._

     _The helm. Where was the helm?_

    His hands found it on its hanger just as his knees gave out and he sunk to the floor, still gripping the mask.

    It was stupid.

    It was weak.

    It was _childish_.

    But he had to put it on - he had to put it on and just _hide_.

    Once on his head, the world became dark and cool, and his breathing slowed, if just a bit.

    No. No, no, no, no, no. Stop being so _weak_.

    It was then that he felt Medoh coo softly, her voice weaved with concern. The Beast slowed her pace considerably and began to produce a gentle vibration. Revali, still on the ground, melted into it.

    “I’m fine, Medoh,” he said when he finally managed to find his voice. “I’m fine. It’s just- it was…” he trailed off.

    What exactly was _it_?

    “I can’t do this.”

    Saying those words was a stab to the chest. Only in front of Medoh could he voice them.

    “I can’t do this. They’re all- they’re all _depending_ on me. All of them. They’re all depending of the equal success of the four champions and dear goddess what if I fail them?” He shut his eyes tight, silent tears slipping down his cheeks. “I went down to the celebrational ceremony in Rito Village. We were rejoicing that the last of the fixing up had been done for the Divine Beasts and they were all ready for battle. But- but everyone was coming up to me and telling me how proud they all were of me and how certain they were of my abilities and how I would protect Rito Village and stop Ganon, and Medoh, _how_ can they be so certain when I’m not absolutely certain _myself_ sometimes?”

    He rubbed furiously at his tears.

     _Child,_ the voices in his head became louder, _you’re being a_ **_child._ ** _Stand up._

    “Medoh, please…”

    His whole body ached with the tension of a thousand sobs he refused to let out, and it hurt to simply _exist._ He wrapped his wings around himself and leaned closer to the floor.

    “Goddess, I can’t do this, I can’t do this…”

    He coughed emphatically, forcing the sobs away, breathing hard and sharp through his nose.

    That day, Medoh said nothing, only continued creating a gentle vibration. She took them away from Rito Village, over the Hebra Mountains, over past the border of Hyrule and flew in a circle there. Over his breath, Revali could just hear a quiet song, a simple, soft whistling tune that sounded in the helm. His breathing came down. His heart slowed. And he let the song lull him to sleep.

    

 

     _Daruk informed me that we have been asked to escort the princess to Lanayru. We're to see the princess off at dawn at the mountain's base and meet her there when she returns at sunset. Must I participate in this nonsense? Though...I still remember that look on the princess's face. When she asked me to pilot the Divine Beast, she was not only determined... she seemed desperate. She's aware she can't fulfill her sacred duties, and anyone can see how it weighs on her. It's difficult for me to comprehend the troubles of the talentless, but... I'm trying. It's not that I dislike the princess. She tries her hardest. It's simply not good enough. No, I don't think I can spare the time to send her off in the morning, but perhaps I will fly over to greet her at sunset. Perhaps that alleged "sealing power" will show her some mercy and finally awaken this time._

 

It wasn’t as if he didn’t have a good excuse either.

    His Great Eagle Bow had been in a condition below his usual standard for some time and he simply could no longer stand for it. So he sent a brief message to the princess, strode up to the repair shop, dropped his bow on the table, and requested that it be fixed to absolute perfection.

    It took hours.

    Every bend and curve, every measurement, the quality of every material used, it was all overseen by Revali as the repairer, Mauzi, worked meticulously, careful hands moving expertly over the weapon. Mauzi’s eyes never left the bow, unless he was grabbing some instrument from his overflowing shelf, and he only spoke to ask a question about aesthetics. Revali, when he had nothing left to add in terms of instructions, sat back and quietly appreciated Mauzi’s diligence, admiring how it all looked like fluid muscle memory to the craftsman as he realigned the string bases and tested durability.

    And at the end of these hours, when his back was sore from standing and sitting perfectly straight all day, his bow was still not done, and Revali kept looking towards the sunset. He couldn’t wait much longer, but his bow was still far from perfect…

    “Mauzi, I have to leave. Keep working on it. I’ll be back for it later this evening.”

    Mauzi nooded. “Certainly, Champion Revali. It’s a pleasure.”

    Ah. _Champion Revali_. That… he was still getting used to that, but he knew he liked it. He had almost been afraid that Mauzi might call him Master Revali, a name he had once dreamed of claiming as his own. He was now able to recognize that the name, coming from the other Rito, would feel nothing but wrong.

    Walking down the village ramps, looking around, he noted, not for the first time, that nearly everyone was very much older than him. The other warriors, the store owners, the elder, the choir teacher, Mauzi. Older. No one had been born before or after him for many years, and his feathers bristled at the realization that he was closer in age to the fledglings than any of the adults at this point.

    So he had since decided it would feel wrong coming from them. He scratched out the name Master Revali in his diary before writing over with Champion Revali. Because, yes, he was a champion. He always would be.

 

     _Of course_.

    Revali’s hands twitched as he restrained from knocking an arrow just to shoot at something, _anything_.

    Of _course_ the princess had failed to find the darkness sealing power. Wasn’t that just _typical_.

    “Farther east!” Daruk called.

    Revali clung to the Goron’s shoulders with his talons, flapping his wings with every bit of power that he had, flying them both north.

    Not his idea, _also_ of course.

    None of this was. But then there was no time for Daruk to walk to Death Mountain; Mipha and Urbosa could ride horses to their towns, but Goron terrain was too mountainous, and so Revali gripped tighter, the muscles in his legs screaming.

    Ganon was awake and growing, readying himself for a fight, intending to take power once and for all, and the champions would rise to meet him. Their Divine Beasts were waiting for them, and with their aid, they could not fail.

    So really, with that comfort in mind, the most stressful thing about this entire trip was the fact that Revali thought his talons might rip off from the weight that he carried.

    After dropping Daruk near the base of Death Mountain, he flew west towards Rito Village, shaking out his body after the strain.

    Finally, Medoh came into view, but she wasn’t in the same position Revali had left her in. He had perched her on Rito Stone before leaving. Now, she was up in the air and seemed to be headed right towards him.

    Before he could question this any further, Medoh’s beam was shot from her beak, blue, bright, blinding, and aimed straight at him. He had only a second to register this before swerving out of the way, just barely avoiding the laser.

    He flew closer. “Medoh! It’s _me_.”

    But again, as Medoh drew closer as well, a storm of arrows shot out from the sides, zipping past his arms and neck.

    “ _Medoh!_ ”

    Then he saw.

    The Divine Beast’s eyes were no longer a clear lake blue, but smoldering red, burning, fiery, and _not like Medoh._

    And then at once Revali understood.

_Ganon._

    The realization hit him like a club to the chest, and for a split second, he couldn’t breathe.

    Then, with pure rage powering him forward, he shot towards Medoh, searching for where the source of the monster’s infection was coming from. At this point, they were directly over the village, and when Medoh released another raindown of arrows aimed for the champion, they fell down to the homes, sticking upright into the ground and ramps. Screams made their way up to the sky where Revali hovered.

    His heart lodged in his throat.

    That was Rito Village.

    That was _his village._

 _Hell’s fucking_ **_no._**

    “Hey!” he shouted, waving a wing in front of Medoh’s face. “Over here, you monstrous fiend!” he ducked underneath another laser shot and forced himself further northwest, away from the village. Medoh turned and let out a horrible choking noise, a smothered parallel of her crystal clear cry, and revali cringed.

    For the next two hours, that was how it was; Revali drawing Medoh further and further back into the corner of Hyrule, and Medoh following, bit by bit, but always pulling back and attacking from that distance. It was nearly nightfall by the time Medoh was far enough away from Rito Village to satisfy Revali, and when she was, he dove down to the deck. When he landed, he could not feel Medoh anywhere, and a shudder went down his spine.

    Then, behind him, an ear splitting shriek erupted and when he turned, a dark mass of black and red, screeching and writhing, burst into the air and _immediately_ started shooting beams at him. Revali had just enough time to jump out of the way and land behind the main terminal. Instantly, he grabbed for the bow on his back and when his hand grasped air, his heart stopped.

    No.

    His bow-! It was still-

     _S h i t._

    The creature, a blight of Ganon’s abominable energy and intentions, rose in the air again, and hurled bombs in his direction. Revali dodged them, cursing himself a thousand times over for leaving his bow in the village.

    He had nothing - _nothing_ \- with which to attack this monster. No way to defend Rito Village. He was going to _fail them_.

     Then Windblight was pushing into him, snaking his bubbling, boiling tentacles around Revali’s arms and pushing him back into the main room inside, all the while screaming in his face. The adrenaline coursing through him was so powerful he began to lose feeling in his legs. But still he fought. Remembering the one power he did still have, the one power he would always have, the one that would never leave him, he grabbed all the winds he could reach and with them threw Windblight off of him and into a wall. Revali picked himself up, Windblight recovered, and they fought like that for the next four hours.

    By the end of it, both were severely injured, wilting and moving slower than they had in the beginning, and neither giving up.

    Unfortunately for the champion, that ganon bastard played dirty, and somewhere around the four hour mark, the blight completely disappeared, blinking out of sight, only to reappear directly behind Revali, generating a wall of tornados that plucked him off the ground and chucked him into a corner.

    He was hit with a twisted sense of deja-vu as to when he first achieved his Gale.

    Then Windblight was in his face, pinning him against the wall, screaming and raising a hand. A ball of light grew from it, bright and loud and searing to the touch, and then it consumed him.

 

    The next one hundred years were one long, restless nightmare - terror constantly wearing down his mind - and darkness.

 

    So of course when he saw the Keeses swarm around Medoh, the only though in his head was to save her, _save her, don’t let it happen again!_

    And of course he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Teba on board, at least twenty four questions immediately filling his mind.

    And of course when the pain exploded in his head, he screamed, forgetting everything. Forgetting all else that existed in the world - forgetting Medoh, forgetting Teba, forgetting Rito Village, forgetting his own name, everything, because his head _burned_ with pain. He couldn’t think or breathe or move or do anything but scream.

    Ganon was in. his. head.

    As the world melted into black, he saw a figure, someone on the ground, and he dimly recognized them… before he knew what he was doing, he felt himself try to reach out, though he was likely not moving at all. Then was it someone… someone that he, somewhere in the back of his scrabbled mind, felt he could… trust-? Was that- was that possible?

    The lashback answer was no, absolutely not, there is no one you can trust. Besides, you _do not_ ask for help. Ever.

    (and this time, the voice sounded suspiciously like his father, and Revali flinched)

    But as he saw the figure, the blurred face, the unmistakable bow, he couldn’t stop himself from taking a shaky step towards him, every part left of him that he still had control over telling him to _go to him, he can help you-_

    And then, just like one hundred years ago, the world fell black, and he felt himself disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO JUST RECENTLY FOUND OUT REVALI DIDN'T HAVE HIS GREAT EAGLE BOW WHILE FIGHTING WINDBLIGHT GANON, PEOPLE
> 
> I just about cried. Beautiful, arrogant, snotty, provocative, deeply insecure, adorable REVALI. UGGGHHHHH. It's not f*cking f a i r. I swear to Hylia if he had his bow Windblight would have been shot out of the goddamned exosphere.
> 
> Okay. Rant done. (for now)


	8. The Blights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!
> 
> I know I'm a little early but I just had this chapter done now (I guess it's a little short)
> 
> WARNING for mind control and all. That sort of thing.
> 
> Also, I was going to mention in the last chapter's notes something terrifying but really cool. (you might already know of course but I was r e a l l y late to the party) In each theme of the Divine Beasts, you can pick out a message in Morse code that says SOS. For one hundred years, the champions were sending out SOS signals, but no one ever heard.
> 
> I don't know that just freaked me out. But it was also amazing detail.

     _Though the four Champions of Hyrule._

    Teba’s chest squeezed so tight it stung to shift his position even an inch, trying to get a better look. He moved only his head, taking in the figure at the end of the wing, standing with his arms still raised, already triumphant in his very first moments back.

     **_Through_ ** _the four Champions of Hyrule._

     _He was going to_ **_use_ ** _them._

     _He was going to_ **_use Revali._ **

    In that moment, all pain was completely forgotten and Teba yanked himself off the floor. He found his balance on wobbly talons and breathed in a shuddering breath, rage bubbling in every part of his body. A fire spread through his every limb and every last tail feather, spurring him on, the only thing keeping him upright.

    “ _Ganon_.” The world tilted and he took a step forward, catching himself. “Ganon, you son of a bitch, turn the hell around.”

    Ganon turned, those blood moon eyes in the Divine Helm’s eye sockets, spewing a grotesque red, fell directly on him.

    “Ah,” the rumbly voice came from Revali again, and Teba had to breathe through a wave of nausea, “You must be a Rito Warrior.”

    “Let him go.”

    “No time for introductions?” Ganon forced Revali’s beak into a frown, his body pouting.

    Teba wanted to strangle him.

    “Well, I must say that is disappointing, especially after the nice surprise I gifted to this land.”

    “I said _let him go_ ,” it was said through a clenched beak, his fists shaking. Teba’s own breath ripped at his lungs.

    Ganon tilted his head, paused, then smiled. “No. No I think not. You see, this little champion is important to my plan.” He spread the tips of his feathered fingers, testing the movement.

    “And what makes you think,” Teba took another shakey step forward, “that this will be _any_ different than it was last time? You tried to take the Divine Beasts before. That didn’t end so well for you, if you don’t recall.”

    There was silence.

    Then the monster controlling Revali stepped forward as well before turning left and beginning to pace around Teba, slowly, smoothly, and Teba _hated_ how easily he moved in Revali’s body.

    “You doubt me,” and now his voice was deep, much deeper than before, and darker; it sounded like crumbling stone, “you doubt me and I could not with all the magic in Hyrule make you understand how foolish you are to do so.” The circling lessened ever so slightly in diameter. “I do have to admit, though, I’m rather pleased that you’re here. I’ve been just _aching_ to tell someone what one hundred years worth of planning get you.” He threw his head to Teba. “Care to hear?”

    Swaying on his feet, all arrows blown from his quiver from the earlier explosion, and his vision darkening, he came to the infuriating conclusion that he could not stop Ganon on his own, not now. So he resolved, with still clenched wings and unwavering glare, to at least, if nothing else, stay with Revali as long as he could.

    “I’d love nothing more.”

    “Well then!” Ganon grinned, “How simply wonderful. Listen close, my friend, this is one hundred years in the making. I’ll give you the brief version, of course,” he gestured to Teba, “I wouldn’t want to keep you, my dear guest, very long,” and that sick smile was back on his face, _Revali’s face_ , “One hundred years ago, at the Great Calamity, I collected the souls of the four champions, the strongest and most skilled fighters in all the land, and forced those souls to power their Divine Beasts. You see, I cannot on my own control the Beasts; that is a power that only and will ever only belong to the chosen pilot. So I kept them- not _alive_ , not exactly, but… in another form, shall we say, so that they would keep the Beasts alive and running while I tried to take control. However,” he stopped in his pacing and faced Teba head on, “this is where I failed. I cannot ever completely control the Divine Beasts while their pilots are still alive and have a will of their own. All those one hundred years, the reason I was never able to alltogether destroy your towns? It was those damn champions using the last of their strength to keep in touch with their Beasts, to keep control from falling all the way into my hands.” Ganon yanked fistfulls of air to himself, snarling, “ _One hundred years_. It was that way for _one hundred years_. I fought the princess, and I fought the champions, and you know what?” He began pacing again, coming closer, inch by inch, “I don’t get nearly enough credit for that. But I’m willing to forgive it all, because I’ve learned, and now… I’m ready.” He chuckled and brushed a wings against the main terminal, looking all around him at Vah Medoh, “If I can’t control the Divine Beasts, I’ll simply control the champions.”

    Teba could not believe what he was hearing. It was like some nightmare, something he would soon wake from, he was _certain_ , because his eyes told him he was was standing on Vah Medoh in front of the monster that took down the last king of Hyrule, infected the four most powerful machines in existence, and who was now seeping his tentacles into Revali’s brain - and supposedly doing the same to the other champions as well - but none of that could possibly be true… could it?

    Ganon began to laugh more fully now, a foul sound that had Teba cringing back.

    “Oh, and this is so much _better_. I’ve no idea why I hadn’t done it before. Not only do I have the Beasts with which to finally attain absolute power,” here he glanced up at Teba from the corner of his eye, “I have something of personal value to the citizens of Hyrule. I have four _puppets_ to play with, and, oh, I do believe I’m going to have much fun.”

    Teba growled, “I swear to the goddess, if you use Revali-”

    “‘Revali?’” Ganon took a small step back, feigning surprise, “Oh, you must be mistaken, my dear friend. This is not Revali, no, not anymore. This is someone else. Perhaps I should introduce you two.”

    He came right up to Teba, their heads hardly inches apart.

    “This is Revali- _Blight_. And he will do as I say.”

    Then, in the blink of an eye, Ganon bulldozed into Teba’s chest, pushing him all the way to the end of Vah Medoh’s wing with Revali’s Gale, Teba’s neck almost snapping in the process, and stopped just at the edge. Ganon held him by the shoulders over the empty expanse below, gripping tight enough to pop his arms out. “Now,” and then Ganon, the monster, damn him, _damn him_ , said, in Revali’s voice, “get off my Divine Beast.”

    And Teba, with his shaking vision and burning side, was dropped.

 

 

 

    It had been Harth who saw, and Harth who flew up without a second thought to grab Teba’s falling form.

    It had been Felra who looked up and gasped, immediately stripped down a bed for the patient, and gripped the edge of her door, waiting.

    And it had been Saki who screamed, wings covering her gaping beak, drawing the attention of the entire village.

    But when Teba woke hours later, under a far-past-midnight moon, he knew none of this. He knew only the blurry ceiling and the bed that felt like thick cloud under his throbbing body. He knew only the growling voice that echoed in his head and the blood moon eyes, and shuddered, despite it causing his side to sear angrily.

    And when he woke up, as he heard and saw those memories, he bolted upright, throwing the blanket off of himself as he did so, looking desperately around for _Revali-_ _where was Rev-_

But Revali was not there. Instead, as his vision came into focus, he found Felra, sitting at the other end of the room. Beside her were Saki and Harth, and the three of them sat in perfect silence, three pairs of eyes staring unseeingly into the ground. As Teba sat straight up, they turned their heads, and Teba was met with expressions from relief to extreme worry. Instantly, Felra’s wings were on his shoulders, pushing him lightly down.

    “Okay, easy, easy,” she glanced back at Saki and Harth, “it’s okay. Lie down.”

    Teba did not lie down. He turned around on his good side to peer out the window and look up at the now pitch black sky, devoid of all stars, and his insides iced over as he saw what else it lacked. “Where is Vah Medoh?”

    Harth stepped closer, “It flew away, headed towards Hyrule castle… Teba, what happened up-”

    “ _Towards Hyrule Castle?_ ” Teba almost choked.

    The others blinked, slightly alarmed.

    “Teba,” and Saki placed a wing on his shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

    Teba looked at her, looked at her face, and found he could breathe just a bit more easily. Her eyes stuck to his, wide and serious, hiding her own fears behind layers of concern, and at the forefront was an understanding, an understanding of what he needed. She was always like that; knowing when he had to have space and letting him be, knowing when he needed to explain and listening attentively, and knowing when he was so overwhelmed he didn’t have any words and trying her best to explain for him. He had lost count of the number of times she had given him precisely what he had needed, the number of times when even he himself hadn’t known what that was. And here she was now, her hushed tone signaling the others to keep silent, her question giving him the platform to get out what he clearly needed to say, and his body sagged with relief, his appreciation and adoration for his wife intensifying and giving him the strength to keep his voice steady.

    “Ganon- he’s back.”

    Immediately, Harth, Fela, and Saki gasped, their eyes asking him, _it’s not true, is it?_

    “And he- he-”

     _Dammit, Teba, you’re a warrior. Breathe. Report the necessary information._

    But distancing himself from emotions had never been his strong suit, and his voice noticeably wavered in his next words, “He’s corrupted the four Champions of Hyrule.”

    His listeners stared at him, this time making no reaction at all. For a long minute, they sat utterly still as though frozen in time. Then-

    “Champion Revali- did he do that to you?” Harth pointed at the wound on Teba’s side, now wrapped in clean cloth. His voice was steady but in his eyes Teba could see a growing anger. Teba quickly put his wings up.

    “No- Harth, wait. You have to understand, he has no idea what he’s doing. He’s under Ganon’s _complete control_. All of them are. And anyway, he did this before Ganon’s return, without meaning to, of course. He was- he was trying to defend Vah Medoh.” He glanced up at the sky again.

    “Do you mean to tell me,” Felra stood, pinching the top of her beak with her fingers, eyes closed, “that the four most powerful fighters in all of Hyrule, _in addition to their Divine Beasts_ , have just _taken_ by Ganon? Just like that?” She opened her eyes and Teba could feel her begging him to correct her, to tell her she heard wrong.

    But he couldn’t give her what she wanted. “That’s right.”

    Again, a silence fell, and the four of them looked at each other in a horrible, dawning understanding. They said nothing because there was nothing to be said. They all felt the weight this new circumstance brought, and Teba could tell by their faces that it nearly crushed them to death.

    “Well, we’re screwed,” Harth finally said, nodding decisively with far off eyes, “We’re absolutely screwed.”

    “No, we’re not,” Teba frowned, “we do not give up, not now. We’ve all come together, every citizen of Hyrule, to stop Ganon before, we’ll just have to do it again. But we do _not give up_.” He looked at each one of them, “We can’t. This time, there’s… more at stake.”

    And another understanding of the meaning behind these words went unspoken, and all of them nodded somberly.

    “Dad?”

    Four head spun around to find Tulin standing by the door, his wings folded tightly around his chest.

    “Dad, what happened?”

    “Tulin!” Saki went to kneel by her son, “I told you to go to sleep. It’s far past your bedtime.”

    Teba stared at his son from across the room and found himself wondering at what time he had fallen from Vah Medoh, if Tulin had seen him fall - his face burning with same at the trauma that could have caused - and if Tulin had been awake this whole time. He was getting a vaguely familiar feeling, a feeling that came from the tense, hushed atmosphere and dizzy head from restless sleep. It reminded him of the night his father died, when he woke in his bed hours before the sun would rise, just staring at the ground. The time had felt shattered; he couldn’t tell if yesterday had been last week of if months and months ago had been just days prior. Every past event molded into a blurry mess in his mind and it hurt his head to think about. Now, tonight, he felt that second hand from Tulin, and saw in his son’s face the bewilderment at any such thing as a scheduled ‘bedtime.’

    Tulin shook his head, still looking at his father, “Uh-uh, I couldn’t sleep. Dad, what happened? Where’s Revali?”

    Teba couldn’t tell if the pain that erupted in him was from his mind or his wound, but either way, his face tightened and he blinked away, unable to find the words to answer him.

    “…Dad?”

    Saki looked from one to the other, then sighed, rubbing a wing down her hair. “Tulin, darling, listen to me. I know you’re very confused and this evening was very upsetting, but I need to ask a big favor of you. I need you to go back to the house and lie down. You don’t even have to sleep, just lie down and close your eyes and I’ll be there as soon as I can. I know you want answers, but the adults need to talk on our own right now. It’s important that you give us space tonight, and as soon as we have answers, we’ll tell you what’s going on, alright?” She held Tulin’s face gently in her wings.

    After a beat, he relented. “Okay, but I want to see Revali again.” And he turned and left the Med Center.

    “Teba.”

    The warrior leader heard his name through water, bleary. He made no movement, only hissing slightly as his body burned from a tension he hadn’t been aware was so severe. Everything ached, from his talons to his head; it all just _hurt_.

    “Darling…”

    And then he felt wings on his shoulders, smoothly pressing down on his muscles, an unintelligible whisper in his ear. The fingers worked at the area below his neck, seeping the iron that had built up in his frame, replacing it with a cool relief.

    “Darling, can you hear me?”

    “Yes,” Teba tried, though he wasn’t sure it came out that way. His tongue was leaden and his head began to droop.

    “Teba, I’m going to go back home to be with Tulin, but Felra is going to stay here all night with you if you need anything. I’ll come by with Tulin in the morning.”

    “Wait-” Teba’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t afford to rest, not now - there wasn’t a second to lose. He attempted to sit farther up, “We need- we need to figure out-”

    “What you _need_ ,” Harth started, his tone gruff but his eyes soft, “is to go the hell to sleep. You won’t be of any use to anybody if you’re dead on your feet. _Then_ , tomorrow morning, after we’ve rested for more than a few measly hours, we can talk about what in the world we’re going to do. Got it?”

    Teba wanted to scowl. Harth had asked it in his warrior voice, the one that boded no arguments.

    “Fine,” he finally mumbled, sinking into the bed, and didn’t miss Harth’s tired but satisfied grin.

    Felra, who had been silently watching ever since her question was answered, made one of the other beds into a sufficient soft seating area and settled in, giving Teba a reassuring smile - well, as reassuring as she could manage right now. Harth nodded at him and stepped out before Saki placed a kiss on his forehead, promising again that she would be back in the morning, and left as well.

    Then Teba was left to lie on his back, waiting for the sounds of the night to come into focus. But after a few moments, he found that they did not come. The sounds of the world around him that were present every night, the choir of the crickets, the occasional owl hoot that echoed over Lake Totori, the easy breeze that rustled through the pines, creating a _shhhh_ that would often lull him to sleep, all of it was absent. Only silence found him as he stared up at nothing, while, in the back of his mind, those blood moon eyes stared back.

 

    When sunlight found its way through his curtains and fell on his face, rousing him from sleep - if four hours of fitful nightmares could be counted as sleep - but the moment his head lifted from the pillow, he could tell something was wrong.

    Every single morning that Teba had woken in Rito Village was one filled with soft chatter and far off yawns. Little fledglings _click click clicking_ around on the wood floors as they waited for breakfast. On occasion, he would even hear a song or two, hummed under breath while morning duties were carried out.

    This morning, there was nothing. A dead silence fell heavily on his ears and even the wind seemed to have run off from Rito territory, and even still, Teba shivered. He turned.

    Only to see the rest of Rito Village frozen at their window sills, every adult and child, rooted in place, eyes wide, and all staring in the very same direction. A stone sunk in Teba’s gut and it took a good deal of effort to turn his head back to witness what he knew he would already see.

    On all four corners of the castle rested the four Divine Beasts, perfectly still, watching the fortress with eyes that glowed a festering crimson, the color visible even from where Teba sat. He glanced back at the rest of the Rito, still rigid in their stance. Teba pulled the comforter off of his legs at the same moment Saki and tulin walked in.

    “Oh- right.” He gave one last look at the other Rito before fully regarding his wife and son.

    Tulin watched him with apprehensive eyes. “…Dad, are you okay?”

    The guilt from last night returned, only twice as sharp now that his brain was functioning slightly better, and Teba kneeled, placing his hands on Tulin’s shoulders. “Yes, I am. Tulin, I’m _very_ sorry you had to see me like that.”

    Tulin looked at the ground. “It’s just… you never get hurt. Not really.”

    Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Saki studying him, likely thinking something similar. He sighed.

    “Yes, I know. Something… unexpected happened. But I’m okay now, that’s what’s important.”

    Tulin nodded slowly, but he still held himself tightly, his hands gripped around each other in front of him. Then he looked up as though remembering something.

    “Where’s Revali?”

    For a second, no one moved. Teba and Saki shared a glance.

    “Where is he? Is he okay?” Tulin asked again, now looking between both of his parents.

    “Tulin, darling,” Saki started placing her hands above Teba’s, still on the fledgling’s shoulders. “Revali isn’t… here right now. He can’t be here right now.” She turned her eyes to Teba, a spark of resoluteness in them. “But I promise we’re going to see him very soon, alright?”

    Before Tulin could answer, Harth burst through the door, breathing heavily, and all heads turned to him.

    “Teba, you- you saw, right?”

    Teba stood. “Yes, I saw. Are all the Rito in the village?”

    Harth swallowed and nodded. “The rest of the team did a head count earlier this morning. All of the families are here. We told them not to leave the village.”

    Teba felt a brief smile. It would be just like Harth to orchestrate an organized list off first thing to account for all of the Rito.

    “And Soryne and I flew closer to the castle earlier as well to get a better look.”

    “And?”

    “And they’re just standing there. Like they’re waiting for something.” Harth looked past Teba and out the window, grimacing. “This is one fine mess.”

    Teba snorted. “That’s one way to put it.”

    He turned as well and found the Beasts still in the same positions. For a moment, he and the others stood at the window, gazing out. A growing frost claimed the inside of Teba’s chest and he was certain, looking at the others’ faces, looking at the faces of the rest of the Rito who mimicked their stance, he could not be the only one. Then something occurred to him.

    “Wait a minute,” he squinted at the Beasts, “the monsters all flocked to Hyrule castle, remember? to- what was it- to draw power from the spot that Ganon had been killed on? That’s how Ganon was able to draw strength in his mind controlling, wasn’t it?”

    He waited for Saki and Harth to digest and nod, realization dawning on their faces as they looked from each other to him.

    “…You don’t think that that’s exactly what’s happening right now with the Divine Beasts?”

    Harth stared dead ahead. “Dear Hylia.”

    “Alright, Harth,” Teba picked his bow off the hanger, slinging it on his back while careful not let it touch his bandaged side. “We’re going after them. Let’s get the rest of the warriors.”

    But just then a small Hylian came running up the ramps, shouting at the top of her lungs.

    “Everyone out! By order of Princess Zelda, everyone must evacuate Hyrule! Head for outside the border! Everyone out! By order of-”

    As she ran by, Teba caught sight of her Royal Guard’s outfit, a flash of blue and red hurrying past them.

    “Excuse me!” Teba poked his head out of the door and called after her. The guard skidded to a halt and turned. Teba waved to signal it was he who had called. “Yes, excuse me, what is going on?”

    Surely not every citizen of Hyrule was leaving the land with their situation as it was.

    The guard pulled at her hair, her eyes flicking to further up the ramps where she had not yet traveled. Obviously she was on some kind of a schedule, but eventually she came down a few steps closer to Teba.

    “Evacuation, sir. The princess had ordered everyone out.”

    The rito warrior frowned. “Even the fighters from all of the land?”

    “Yes, sir.”

    “Did she say anything about coming back? Anything about a plan of attack?”

    The guard pulled again at the end of her hair. “No, sir. She says just pack one bag maximum and get out. But I’ve really got to go - I have to report back to the castle before noon.” And with that, she sprinted off again, yelling her script loud enough to wake a Hinox from slumber.

    Harth turned to Saki and Teba. “Alright, I’ll meet you up in the air.” And he exitted the med center to run to his house.

    Saki stared after him. She then hesitated only a moment before she spun around, swiped an empty bag lying on top of a cabinet, and made her way out of the room as well.

    Teba frowned. “What are you doing?”

    “I-” Saki stopped with one hand on the door frame and looked back. “What do you mean? I’m going home to pack. We’re _leaving_.”

    “No, we’re not.” Teba still couldn’t understand why she had the bag in hand. “We’re not leaving them.”

    A pause.

    Then Saki did put down the bag stepped closer, her eyes searching his. “Oh, Teba, that’s not what this is about. Of course we’re not leaving the champions.”

    “Well then, we agree.”

    “No- I mean, in the end. We’re not abandoning them forever. But we do have to leave now-”

    “No, we don’t.”

    “If we don’t leave _right now_ , we’ll be in goddess knows how much danger. You of all people can see that.”

    “But we don’t have to _leave_.”

    “ _Teba_.”

    And Teba could feel his blood starting to simmer. They were _not leaving them._

    “This is ridiculous. We shouldn’t be fleeing. That’s synonymous with giving up.”

    “Tulin,” Saki turned to her son, “would you step out for a moment, please? You can go help Mollie pack.”

    Tulin, eyes darting between his mother and father again, nodded jerkily and stepped out.

    “It’s not _giving up_ ,” Saki swiveled her head back and stood taller, the bag on the floor forgotten. “We’re finding safety.” She took a quick breath. “Teba, listen to me. I know you want to help them. We _all_ do. But, right now, in this moment, there is nothing we can do.”

    “There has to be _something_.”

    “Teba, there’s _not_. If there was we would know it. But you must be feeling it too, what we’re all feeling, the fact that we are utterly powerless right now. There’s nothing for us to-”

    “Saki, leaving won’t _solve anything_.”

    And then Saki said nothing, only stared hard at Teba, fire flaring in her eyes. And Teba dimly became aware of the fact that he had never actually raised his voice at his wife. Never. Throughout all of the arguments in their marriage, over all the years, the both of them dealing with Teba’s temper, he had never, not once, shouted. And now, looking at his wife, he saw the effect in her face and didn’t know if he could take it without trembling.

    Saki took a step towards her husband.

    “Wait, Saki, I’m sor-”

    “Teba, you listen to me right here right now. _Listen_ to what I have to say. I know you want to save them. I know it’s in your blood to help anyone who needs it. I _know_ this is painful for you. I _know_. But that does not mean you run blindly into a fight without a plan.” She pointed out the side window at the rest of the village who had begun to pack, hasty voices carrying across the wind, some of them already picking up their fledglings and flying off. “This _is_ our plan; buying ourselves some time to come up with a better one before we’re all killed.”

    “Saki-”

    “No, _listen_ . Running off to fight the Divine Beasts will not help the champions. Do you hear me? This _will not help_. What _will_ help is finding safety so that we can regroup, plan, and attack later. Okay? We _are_ coming back. Of _course_ we’re coming back for them. They just… have to wait a while longer.”

    Teba’s mind was pulled in two directions, and it ached as though this was physically the real case. He could hear the truth in Saki’s words, and he could feel himself believing them, but his instinct grounded him and would not allow him to leave. Not without a final push.

    “Saki… we can’t ask that of them. They’ve already given so much - too much.”

    Saki hesitated, and in that moment, she lost her fiery mask. Her face fell, her shoulders fell, her whole body seemed to slump. Two dark rings beneath her eyes became prominent as she let a breath blow from her beak.

    “I know. Goddess, I know, they’ve been through enough.” She glanced out the window, first at the last of the Rito picking up their bags and leaving, then at the Diving Beasts in the distance. “And I’ve heard from more than one person that Revali and Mipha… they’re just…” she shook her head, unable to finish. “Hylia above. I don’t want to leave either, and it’s not just about the village.”

    When she took a step towards the window, Teba became aware of just how quiet it had gotten. At this point, they were the only ones in the village, the rest of the Rito high in the sky and heading northwest, the whole flock of them spots of color against the solid blue. The sunrise from the east spilled orange and gold light into their house and Teba couldn’t even find the energy to block it from his eyes.

    “I don’t want to leave either,” was all Saki finally said.

    Teba joined her by the window, both of their wings placed gently on the sill and a cool breeze lifted their feathers.

    “Saki… I can’t leave him.”

    Saki did not turn to him. She did not appear confused. And she did not need to ask of whom he spoke.

    “I know,” she said after a moment, and her voice was tight. When her eyes finally found his, Teba could see a thin lining of tears on her lashes. “But we don’t have a choice.”

 

    So they packed and headed northwest. In their bag was clothing, a bit of food, a surplus of arrows - courtesy of Teba’s stubborn demand - and that was it. When Saki had asked if Tulin would like to bring his paper pad and pencils to entertain him while they waited for further word from the princess, he shook his head, eyes on the ground. “Uh-uh,” he said. “It won’t be any fun without him.”

    So with their bag packed they flew side by side in the sky, Saki on the left with the bag, Teba on the right with Tulin. And behind them, Rito Village, standing tall and reflecting the golden morning light, devoid of a single soul, fell behind the horizon.

    And only twenty seconds passed before a _screech_ sounded above them. Every Rito stopped in their tracks and craned their necks up while a shadow passed over them. Vah Medoh flew above, blocking out the sun, going faster than Teba had ever seen the creature go. Flying southwest, its beak was lit up, the sky brightened with artificial blue, and a beam shot straight down, cutting deep into the planet below.

    Before Teba could voice a question as to its intentions, the creature let out another cry, shattering his ears and thoughts. It then began a slight horizontal curve, heading more to the south, and all the while, its beam drilled a new canyon nearly fifty meters wide. And then they saw it.

    And Teba could have sworn, just for a second, that he was back in Rodor’s Ravine. Because as he looked to the right to where the beast had come from, a wave of water, filling the canyon from side to side, charged down the unnaturally created corridor, bursting up and over the sides, flooding after Vah Medoh’s beam.

    “Teba.”

    Teba turned left. Harth was at his side, staring down at the water as though he’d never seen liquid before.

    “What- what the hell is- what are they _doing_?”

    Lucky for Harth, his answer came within the minute. A noise, like soft hush, but steadily growing louder, then shakier, finally formed into a buzz. As it built in volume, every one of the Rito looked to the right to see a plethora of yellow sparks shooting from the water, zapping after the tip of the water wave.

    “They’re working together,” Teba breathed. He looked around to find Vah Medoh, swallowing hard when he saw how far it had gone in such a short time. The yellow sparks that came to life in what was now a moat shot high, creating almost a wall of electricity. “They’re trapping us in Hyrule.”

    Noal sputtered, staring after Vah Medoh as well. “You don’t mean to say that this- this _moat_ of _electricity_ goes all the way around Hyrule?”

    Teba squinted Southeast, catching sight of Vah Ruta standing above the Lanayru Great Spring, spouting an endless stream of water into Vah Medoh’s canyon.

    “That looks to be the case, Noal, yes.”

    “Well, that shouldn’t trouble us though, should it?” It wasn’t exactly a question, but he looked to Teba for confirmation anyway.

    “I… I don’t know. It’s too wide for those who can’t fly, and while it obviously _seems_ like that wouldn’t be a problem for us, it feels like there’s something…” Teba couldn’t take his eyes from the humming water. “…unnatural about the electricity.”

    “Well, only one way to find out,” Noal said, and flew forwards, high above the water.

    Teba jerked his head up. “Noal, _wait!_ ” He shot forward himself, ready to yank the younger warrior back when in a split second a bolt of yellow sparks, a sparking hand reaching skywards, shot up and swallowed Noal wholly, a feather raising buzz sounding far across the land, shocking him from the air. He fell straight down.

    The screams that immediately filled the air echoed that which filled Teba’s head, though he could not find the air in his lungs to voice it. His body, cold and stiff, moved without his conscious order and he swooped down, skidding on his knees next to the fallen form.

    “Noal!”

    The warrior did not respond.

    In an instant, another Rito had flown down and was now by Teba’s side, shaking Noal. Her face resembled his strongly, and she choked on her breath as she gripped his shoulders harder.

    “Noal, brother, please wake!”

    Teba look up at the rest of the Rito, searching. “Felra!” he called.

    But it was unnecessary. The doctor was already flying down, slowing and landing near them. Teba and Noal’s sister backed away, allowing her space while the rest of the Rito looked on from above. No one spoke.

    After a brief examination, Felra leaned back on her heels and blew out a breath.

    “He’ll be fine. But we should get him back to the village.” She looked up at Teba, the question clear in her eyes.

    He nodded to her and threw his head back, calling out, “In fact, _everyone_ back to the village! Everyone head back now, and _stay_ there.”

 

    And so Rito Village filled up its population as quickly as it has lost it. Under Teba’s advisement and Elder Kaneli’s command, no one was permitted to leave the village. As long as the Diving Beasts were under Ganon’s control, no where was safe, but Teba couldn’t help but feel that the best thing to do right now was to keep all of the Rito in one place so he could at least keep track of them.

    So everyone came back, and everyone stayed. Everyone except Teba, Harth, Soryne, and Ciera who flew off to Hyrule castle with the intention of informing the princess why her evacuation order could no longer be fulfilled by her subjects.

    Only to find the castle engulfed in what could only be described as… a giant, blue bubble.

    Similar to the ones that fledglings would often blow through the village made out of soap and water, this bubble was transparent with all the colors of the rainbow mixing and smearing across it when the light came through in the just the right way. It stretched from one end of the field, over the very highest turret, and down to the other end.

    After the events of the past day, Teba found he hardly questioned its existence and that the others lacked the curiosity as well.

    A simple test of sticking an arrow through (they were slightly wary after the incident with the moat) proved it permeable, and they proceeded to pass through without trouble. Emerging on the inside, they were greeted with three familiar faces waiting at the gate. At least, they were familiar to Teba.

    Prince Sidon stood at the front, closest to the doors, flanked by a handful of other Zora soldiers. Behind them was Yunobo who gripped his outer arms, folding himself small, with a pressure that could crush a horse. He hunched over and trembled, visible even to the Rito still in the air. No more than six Goron stood behind him, hammers hefted onto their broad shoulders. Finally, at the end was Riju. She sat on the floor with her knees pulled to her chin, picking at the sparse blades of grass while a circle of Gerudo fighters encircled her, backs straight as their swords. She was the first to notice Teba and the others as they came down, and her head perked up before she jumped to her feet.

    She pushed out of the circle and rushed up to them. She slowed as she approached them and looked up haltingly at Teba, her fingers fidgeting in front of her.

    “It- it happened to Champion Revali, too, didn’t it?”

    Looking into the young chief’s wide, waiting eyes, a shiver went down Teba’s spine. There was no longer any doubt about it. Every champion was taken.

    “Yes,” he murmured, looking past her at the rest of the crowd who was waiting, presumably, for the door. An image of the meeting not so long ago flashed in his eye and a small, humorless laugh escaped him. “This feels familiar, doesn’t it?”

    It was made even more so as, once more, the doors slammed open and Zelda emerged, this time looking as though she wouldn’t be able to comprehend the meaning of a good night’s sleep. Even at the back of the line, Teba could see two dark rings beneath the eyes that moved heavily from group to group.

    There was a beat of silence as her face asked the question Teba felt they all understood.

    “Yes,” he said when the silence continued. Zelda lifted her eyes to him. “We saw. And he’s making a barrier all around Hyrule. No one can leave, not even the Rito.”

    The princess nodded, her hand slowly slipping down from where it hung on the door.

    “Of course - of course you saw. Yes.” She darted her eyes up at the bubble around the castle before swept them over those gathered before her. “You should come in. Now.”

 

    The castle was colder than Teba remembered it.

    For all its ornaments and glamour, its atmosphere crept near the that of a massive walk in tomb. The lanterns lining the main hall that had been ablaze with fire at the recent meeting were now snuffed out, ash caking in the lacuna of warmth. The curtains which Teba had then seen several guards shaking the dust out of were now put back in their state of neglect, blocking out natural light and clogging the halls with sooty air. When the windows were open, Teba remembered the light clicking of footsteps as they headed towards the meeting room, like a rhythmic tap. Now, as they headed once more in the same direction, the footsteps fell heavy, some dragging slightly in their step, echoing in the otherwise dead silence.

    Two guards walked along either side of the princess as she guided them to the two tall doors at the end of the hall and, stifling a yawn, held the doors open.

    Everyone filed in quickly and without word. Once seated, Zelda slowly and carefully placed all ten fingers on the table top, as though afraid she might make a dangerous mistake in the process.

    “So. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?” She closed her eyes and breathed in. “Ganon has infected the Divine Helms and taken control of the four Champions of Hyrule. So far so good?”

    Several weary nods gave her enough confirmation.

    “And he has created… a- what would you call that-?”

    “An electric _moat_.” Riju stood so that she reached the eye level of Zelda who still sat in her chair. “You try to swim and you get _electrocuted_.”

    The princess took in another breath and it shook audibly. She took her hands back and folded them in her lap. “Thank you, Riju. Yes, a moat. Which means no one can evacuate the land.”

    She stared at the table, blinking slowly, and Teba found himself wondering why, time and time again, the responsibility of the land and its people fell directly on the shoulders of one princess hardly of age, give or take one hundred years. The rings beneath her eyes really did seem darker than any imminent future Hyrule might have in store, and he realized, with the Beasts at the four corners of the castle this morning, that they must have been there all night - drawing power from Ganon’s territorial source of life, yes - but also watching, waiting, blood moon eyes on the young woman all through the night. If that wasn’t certified nightmare fuel, then Teba wasn’t the leader of the Rito Warriors.

    “Excuse me, princess, but what exactly is Ganon’s plan here? He claimed he would attain absolute power of Hyrule, but precisely how is he to do that?” Unlike Riju, the Zora prince had to bend over to achieve eye level with anyone in the room, and he dipped his head slightly as he looked to Zelda.

    A half chuff of laughter, devoid of even the barest of mirth escaped her lips. “He’s after me. He wants my power and now that he has made the move of capturing the champions he will stop at nothing to get it. Yes… he’s coming for me.”

    The room held its breath as she continued.

    “You must understand though, much of the power of the royal family rests within the very castle itself. It’s another source of power that he would kill, every bit literally, to get his hands on.” Finally her eyes found her audience and she leaned forwards over the table. “We cannot let him take the castle.”

    “Much less you,” Sidon said. Teba saw how we waited for a response and swallowed when he received none. “Princess?”

    Zelda blinked. “Oh, yes. Of course. I’m sorry- I’m a bit…”

     _Out of your mind exhausted_ , Teba’s brain supplied.

    “…fatigued. My apologies.”

    “And just what in the name of Hylia was that great bubble we all walked through?”

    Heads turned to one of the Goron, one of the soldiers with his hammer leaning against the chair that creaked under his weight.

    For the first time since… well, for the first time at all, Teba saw a ghost of a smile cross Zelda’s worn features. Her posture straightened ever so slightly.

    “That is a barrier created from my own power that can keep out inorganic materials possessed by Calamity Ganon.”

    She read the blank faces and gave a lopsided smile.

    “Pardon me. Let me explain. It was a power father and I deemed necessary as backup for the battle one hundred years ago. It was created for the purpose of keeping out any technology Ganon may have been able to corrupt. We had only the guardians in mind then, as they were more susceptible to mind control. We never thought for a moment that this might be the case with the Divine Beasts, but luckily, the barrier has the same effect on them nonetheless. Neither the Divine Beasts nor the guardians can enter the barrier whilst under the influence of Ganon.”

    Prince Sidon gave a winning smile, though Teba could see his lightly drooping posture wasn’t just for the sake of eye contact.

    “Well, that buys us quite a bit more time to figure out a plan, doesn’t it?”

    Everyone else in the room nodded, this little ray of hope seeming an entire sun’s worth of light in the current situation. But it was to be squelched out too soon. Zelda bit her lip and sat back.

    “Perhaps, yes, just a bit, but you must be aware of this: Ganon has control over the champions as well, not just the Divine Beasts.”

    Teba held back a bark of empty laughter. It was hard to become _forget_ that part.

    “And the barrier can only keep out inorganic material.”

    The guests of the castle looked form one to another.

    “The champions…” A Zora with black scales, seated right next to the prince, widened his eyes. “They can still get though, can’t they?”

    Zelda nodded. “Yes, they can. And I expect it will only be a matter of time before Ganon find this out for himself and attempts to claim the power of the royal family for his own, once and for all.”

    This sat with them for a moment. Already, Teba’s mind, on complete automatic, was mentally sketching out the best strategies of bracing an attack from the four most competent fighters in all the land, and he was about to voice one plan in particular when a sharp wailing filled the room.

    Ever head turned to the only open window, and as the sound did not stop, they all got up and rushed over. They pushed together at the window sill to look out, and Teba could tell by the choked intake of breaths that they all found the source at the exact same time as he did.

    In the distance, still standing high above the Great Lanayru Spring, Vah Ruta gave another burst of broken wail. Despite the separation, the red eyes of the elephant suddenly seemed to be right in front of Teba’s face and he struggled for breath, backing away from the group and trying to find air.

    “Princess Zelda.”

    Everyone froze.

    Breath forgotten, Teba stepped right back up to the window, eyes falling again on Vah Ruta.

    The deep rumble seemed to come from everywhere at once, filling the room, filling the skies outside, filling Teba’s head.

    It continued, “Beautiful, delicate princess. Listen to my words, or watch your citizens perish. Because I’m feeling rather charitable now that I’ve had some fun playing with the puppets, I’ve decided to offer you a deal.”

    The Zora, the Goron, the Gerudo, and the Rito all stepped back, not looking away from Zelda who stood, hands clasped at her chest, staring out the window with hard eyes.

    “Lower your barrier, let us have a civilized fight, a fair fight, and the people of Hyrule may live a bit longer.”

    Teba could strangled him were he here in the room.

    A _fair_ fight? The monster had control of the minds of the champions; it was repulsive simply to hear the word in his voice.

    Then, without warning, Vah Ruta quickly built up its laser, the sky brightening once more with blinding blue, and shot directly down at Zora’s Domain.

    The screams from the castle meeting room were in absolute unison, a shocked half cry, too stunned to make much more noise than that, and they pushed closer to the window, desperately looking out.

    Teba hovered above them and peered out. When he saw what had truly happened, it felt as though he might melt into a puddle from relief.

    Vah Ruta’s laser had landed mere years away from the Zora castle, missing it by a hairline - by a ten foot diameter laser’s standards.

    Zelda gripped the sill, swallowing. Beside her, Sidon - and the rest of the Zora for that matter - had gone completely pale.

    “Mipha.”

    The whisper was hardly audible, and Teba was just barely able to catch it from the prince.

    “I dare say next time I might not be so careless,” Ganon boomed. “You have twelve hours to answer before I send in a little… ‘motivation party’. And twelve more before I blow every last town to kingdom come.”

    And just like that, the voice disappeared.

    No one moved. No one spoke. All eyes fell on the floor or the wall but none of them saw.

    “Princess Zelda,” Yunobo said at last. He resumed his position of holding himself in. “What- what’s gonna happen? How do we save the champions now? What do we do?”

    Heads turned to Zelda now, and she reached up two shaky hands and smoothed down her uncombed hair. She seemed to be nodding to herself, coming to a conclusion in her head.

    Teba hesitated. This was, crudely put, a _lot_. And it would be obscenely understated to say that this was too much to fall on one person, magic and of royal blood as that person may be. He waited for her to speak first. He had a few plans himself - unfinished, but a start was more than nothing - and was ready to supply her with the steps necessary to carry them out, as well as on demand verbal support as he could see for himself that no one else seemed to take notice of the way she wilted when all eyes fell on her. At the same time, he didn’t want to steal her thunder. While he bore witness to her exhausted state of anxiety, he knew, in his heart from all the tale, and in his eyes from the resolute look on her face, that she was more than capable of coming up with a plan on her own.

    This _was_ Princess Zelda.

    So he waited for her.

    Zelda walked back to the table, the light that streamed through the window falling on the back of her blue shawl.

    She placed ten fingers on the table and when she spoke, Teba thought - or maybe he imagined it - that he could hear the faintest whisper of confidence in her voice.

    “I believe I have a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll get on the next chapter as soon as I can
> 
> So much love to you all as always!!
> 
> Also I’ve come to a realization. It takes a very certain type of person to love an arrogant asshole who can’t go one full day without praising his own abilities. Now that you’re reading this fic, I think I’ve found my people.


	9. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!
> 
> I'm so sorry that this chapter came late - you've all been so patient and you've still come back and I appreciate that more than I can express in words.
> 
> UPDATE: tags and warnings have been updated. There is some kind of graphic-ish descriptions of violence in here, and kind of just... slightly disturbing stuff, too. Kind of like torture. It might make some people uncomfortable. I'm sorry if it offends anyone. Feel free to skip it and message me and I'll give you a non graphic summary of the chapter.
> 
> Aside from that, I'd offer my usual apology of the (hopefully) painful contents of this chapter, but then I'd have to be sorry about it, wouldn't I?
> 
> Enjoy, you wonderful people.

    That evening was, without a doubt, a very long evening indeed.

 

    If it was true that Hyrule stretched over 23 square miles of land, then all together, they must have run more than 70 miles.

    Teba knew he had it easier than most, seeing as how his contribution to that final number was spent mostly in the air. Still though, by the end of the day, he could think of nothing but a Rito-down bed, a cushion supporting his heavy head and burning wings.

    They had planned to spend that afternoon - which then bled into the evening - gathering as many able bodied soldiers as they could before rounding them all back to Hyrule Castle in the purpose of building an army. The idea was that, or at least as Teba understood it, with this army, they could keep the champions (Zeda was certain that they would be the ‘motivation party’ of the halfway mark) at bay long enough to weaken them and knock the helms off their heads, thus rendering Ganon’s mind control disconnected.

    Simple enough in theory, a bit… more complicated in actual execution, was Teba’s initial reaction to being handed the instructions of gathering soldiers from the northwest.

    But the second half of that day consisted of exactly that. It turned out to be a complete and exhausting blur, hopping from village to village and town to town, searching for any properly trained fighters, explaining the situation and plan, and hoping they had the means to get down to the castle in time. Now, this would have provided scarce results as it was, but the final count dwindled still further as Teba found the damage done by Vah Rudania to the land - and to the people.

    As he was told by innumerable weary voices, the Divine Beast had come stomping through all of Hyrule while the other Beasts created the moat. With such great vibrations, hill tops slid right down their slopes, drowning the back sides of the unlucky towns in rubble and debris. Houses had fallen in - the inhabitants still inside - cracks in the rocky grounds opened up so wide that people fell in. Even being near the large lizard when it came crashing by had knocked people from their feet, their grip slipping from place as they traveled up mountains. No one was killed, but Teba saw more injuries flying through all those towns and villages than he seen in all his time as a Rito Warrior, and the roaring flame in his chest was only fanned even further.

    Once he returned to the Hyrule Castle, the warmth of the sun was long gone behind the mountains and a chill settled over the land.

    He had led the way, a marker in the sky, for those that had agreed to come and fight, and when he and his group reached the great doors, he tugged them open to let them in. No one else had returned, and, unsure what else to do, Teba instructed them to wait in the entrance room for the princess to return from where ever she had gone. That knowledge did not belong to Teba.

    So they waited. And waited. And after a quarter of an hour, Teba’s talons began to protest the constant weight so he walked over to a stone bench, seating himself and slumping down.

    Just then, the doors were again thrust open and Prince Sidon walked triumphantly through. Behind him trailed a group of Hylians and several Zora that hadn’t been there that morning. Teba watched as he gave nearly identical instructions and reassured them that the princess would not be long.

    And then, as the crowd nodded and mingle with hesitant, muffled voices, when they were all turned away, Teba saw the prince’s shoulders fall.

    Sidon interlaced his fingers behind his neck and rotated slowly, looking over the heads in the room, and then saw Teba. He came over.

    “Excuse me, but you’re the leader of the Rito Warriors, is that correct?”

    Teba nodded slowly, the energy to sit up nowhere in sight. “That’s correct.”

    Sidon almost seemed to bite his lip, blinking quickly at the crowd before eyeing him again.

    “Would you mind terribly if I joined you here?”

    “Oh,” Teba scooted over, “please.”

    When the Zora prince sat down, Teba nearly flew up without any additional effort from his wings. He had to keep his eyes down and not gape at just how tall the prince was even while sitting.

    “So,” Sidon breathed in, even, “this was your full group? These are… all the people you found?”

    When Teba looked again at their full count, the room around them seemed to grow much larger, ready to swallow them whole. Was that really all they had brought back?

    “Yes,” Teba squinted his eyes. “Same case for you? No one else coming?”

    A tight nod.

    “Yes.”

    There was a moment more of silence before Sidon turned to Face Teba more directly.

    “May I… would you allow me to- to get something off of my mind?”

    Teba blinked. He had met the prince only once before, but this made it no less easy to get a sense for who he was. Even aside from all of the tales brought back by travelers passing through Rito Village, predominantly of his smile as they were, Teba was able to glean, simply by being near him, that he was a confident leader. And if not a leader exactly, then an honest and willing person in a position of command. And Teba had not seen that confidence falter, not yet, but he was now looking into two round, unsure eyes, almost afraid that Teba might refuse. And just then, right then, an ocean’s worth of power was dumped into Teba’s lap. He realized, as Sidon continued to stare, not breaking contact, that there hadn’t exactly been a great deal of time to stop and reflect on the happenings of the past day. He realized that Sidon, along with Riju and Yonobu, would be feeling the weight of it more than anyone, being family members to the Champions as they were, and the amount of stress they three must currently be feeling would be simply immeasurable. And now Sidon looked to him for support, someone to which he could voice these stresses, someone who could hear him, whatever it was he had to say, and Teba knew, with a bit too much experience, how painful it was to never let those thoughts out.

    So he was quick to answer.

    “Of course, anything.” He nodded and waited for Sidon to inhale slowly, not commenting on the way it shook.

    “I saw Vah Ruta,” he started, then stopped. He looked down at his hands in his lap, frowning as though confused as to why the words did not weave as easily as he had possibly imagined.

    “I saw Vah Ruta,” he said again, more slowly this time. “I saw her up close as she was back at the domain when I went back to retrieve more fighters, but…” another deep breath, and Teba saw his jaw clench. “I could think of nothing but Mipha up there, how she would never, _never_ do this were she in control.”

    Then he stopped again, and after a beat of silence, Teba was about to speak up and agree, letting Sidon knew that he knew it wasn’t their fault. Of course it wasn’t, but then Sidon continued, and when he did it was in one breath, nearly tripping over his words as though he were afraid he might never be able to say them again if he didn’t get them all out now.

    “And- and I kept thinking I should have been there. I should have been there fighting with Mipha. That night, when the monsters came again, Mipha was protecting Vah Ruta and I was down in the castle fighting there. We were all fighting, trying to keep the other Zora safe, but I could feel in my gut that something was wrong and I knew I should have been with my sister - I _knew_ it. I should have _done_ something. I should have _gone_ to her, I- I should have been able to _save_ her, but I didn’t and I _should have been able to_ and-”

    He gulped for breath, his whole body trembling as he wrung a wrist in the other hand.

    Teba, for his part, sitting to the side, was _horrified_.

    Dear Goddess above, these were _children_.

    Say what one might about Sidon being a trained and practiced leader, Teba knew with all of his heart that he was in no position to be taking the responsibility of his sister’s mind capture. And he felt this one thought so intensely that he didn’t know if he could ever communicate it as so.

    “Sidon,” he said, low and careful, keeping his eyes on the prince’s all the while. “I didn’t know Mipha. But what I did see of her was more than just kind, it was… almost otherworldly in the way that she made the room feel safe, made the light a little brighter.”

    Slowly, Sidon’s frame began to undo the iron clench that had claimed him.

    “And I can say for certain that your sister is smart enough to not any blame you for not being able to prevent this. Sidon, listen, you can’t put that pressure on yourself. This was not you. It was Ganon.”

    Sidon met Teba’s eyes and his mouth twitched upwards.

    “…Thank you, that- that actually helps quite a bit.”

    Teba allowed himself a smile as well. Good.

    The next few minutes were spent in companionable silence, the both of them looking out at their group as they waited for Yunobo and Riju. The muffled talk of those gathered became a hushed white noise, and to Teba, the room started to disappear as he retreated into his thoughts, and he almost didn’t hear when Sidon spoke again.

    “Are you Revali’s father?”

    Teba turned his head and couldn’t help himself from staring with unguarded wide eyes.

    “What,” was all he said.

    He couldn’t even find it in him to form it into a proper question.

    Then Sidon seemed to share the same confusion and he stared back a moment more, a small frown on his face before his eyes grew wide and he gave a sharp intake of air.

    “Oh, Goddess, I’m so sorry, I- I forgot that Rito do not live as long as Zora and- you see my sister was able to come back and see her father again and I just- I just assumed that was the case with Revali. I’m so terribly sorry I just thought-”

    “Sidon, slow down, it’s okay, really.” Teba held up his wings to silence him, offering an amused grin. “You’re not that far off. He’s… he’s a friend. And I want to see him returned to his own mind as much as you do with Mipha.”

    Sidon’s shoulders dropped and the red tint that had come over him began to fade away.

    “Ah, yes, alright.” The prince eyed Teba. “So, you’re not his father then?”

    And Teba then found himself in the absurd position of not quite knowing how to answer. Logic told him of course, of course he was not his father. Revali was not his son. They were not related in that sense. But something else, a new kind of thinking that was not at all like his warrior logic that had begun to bloom in his chest not all that long ago, told him differently. This new thinking, it was softer, warmer than the logic; it looked past Revali’s sarcasm and haughty looks and focused on the way Teba had never seen neither Tulin nor Revali smile the way they had down in Rodor’s Ravine. It focused on the way Revali had never looked more lost than when he stood in the doorway of Teba’s house and stared at their family. It focused on those rare genuine smiles, and how Teba was secretly pleased that he could recognize the difference between those and the fake ones, those of Revali the Champion. And with this way of thinking fighting against the logic, Teba struggled to come to a proper conclusion.

    “Not by blood, no.”

    And luckily, that answer seemed to suit Sidon just fine, though if he smiled a bit knowingly as he turned his head away, Teba pretended not to notice.

    Again, they took a break from speech.

    At this point in the day, the lights from the sky molded into a dusty violet, washing the room with a decidedly evening palette, warm and soft and easy on the eyes. With it came the feeling of tranquility - that was, as much as could be felt at the moment - and the murmurs of the crowd quieted to the occasional whisper as many of them took a seat as well on the benches lining the walls. Likely, they were as worn out as Teba and Sidon from the damage of their homes and the traveling to the castle.

    Teba breathed in deep, closing his eyes.

    Sidon cleared his throat. “You know, I think I actually remember Mipha coming back to the Domain occasionally, before the Great Calamity, and talking about him.”

    Teba opened his eyes and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

    “It’s… all a bit blurry now, but… I believe she liked him. She liked some parts of him, yes, that’s what she said. And something about him visibly not wanting to share all of those parts.”

    Recognition stirred in Teba, and vivid images played before his eyes, of those times when Revali smiled, those rare true smiles, that he would instantly cover it up as though afraid someone might see. As though he were afraid of it’s honest easiness. As though he wished it weren’t there.

    “At the time,” Sidon continued, “I didn’t fully understand who the champions were or how important their role was. Now… now I do not even know how we could ever repay them for their service to Hyrule.” He swallowed. “Because, even now, they must be fighting against Ganon’s power, right? I have to believe that Ganon would not give the princess a full day to consider her options if he was at his full strength.”

    As Sidon nodded slowly to himself, Teba found himself mimicking the action.

    Yes, it must be the champions.

    “I have to believe so as well. But Sidon, you don’t have to think about repaying them. Please know that all you have to focus on is getting your sister back.”

    When Sidon turned to him with those same unsure eyes, Teba reached up to grab his shoulder and gave it a firm shake.

    “Hey. We _will_ get her back.”

    And then, once the words seemed to reach him, a hint of that bright famous smile appeared on his face, even reaching his eyes a bit.

    “Thank you.”

    And as Teba’s bow tapped at his side, he remembered, and brought himself up to a straighter posture. His body, and his mind, did feel a bit better.

    Just then, the doors cracked open again and Zelda hurried in with Riju and Yunobo trailing close behind. And behind the three of them was another crowd of people, carrying on their backs only swords and quivers.

    Zelda walked up a shallow flight of stairs and looked down at those gathered.

    “Everyone, I cannot thank you enough for coming here with all else that is happening in your personal homes and lives. Hyrule is in your debt. Unfortunately, we have little time to extend our gratitude. The champions are coming and you must be prepared.”

    Teba saw the princess dig her fingers into her palms at her side and her face pinched.

    “On their own, they could take down a multitude of enemies with little to no harm done to themselves. Working together though… we’ve yet to discover what kind of a force we’re to reckon with.”

    A cloud passed over the last streaks of purple dusk and the room became dark. The crowd looked to each other with shifting feet and unsettled murmurs. Zelda was quick to regain their attention.

    “I do not say this to dishearten you, only to make you quite aware of what you shall be up against. It is not hopeless, and in fact,” and she gave a small smile, a real one, “I have something that shall greatly aid you in your battle.”

 

    Before this day, Teba could have sworn that he knew about every weapon in Hyrule, and stared with unhindered bewilderment at the arrows before him.

    Wait, no. That wasn’t right.

    Before a couple weeks ago, before the first even with the monsters and the living writing bushes of vines, he could have sworn that he knew about every weapon in Hyrule. But the last couple weeks proved more and more every day to shatter what Teba thought to be possible, and today was no exception.

    Standing in the castle’s storage facility, he turned the golden arrow over in his fingers, squinting at it.

    “We call them stasis weapons, or stasis arrows in your case, Teba. Each weapon has been enhanced with the power of stasis, and with one hit, your enemy will freeze in place, much like the power that came from the Sheikah slate that many of you saw Link use.”

    As she addressed the whole audience - the rest of the crowd piled into the storage space as well - Teba wondered distantly where that knight was. Surely not in Hyrule. Were that the case, Zelda would certainly have him by her side, would he not? Teba hummed.

    “Do you expect us to strike our friends with the blades, princess?” Yunobo ventured.

    With the walls around them covered in more weapon than, well, _wall_ , the young boy eyed a golden glowing hammer, his fingers fidgeting together.

    “Oh, of course not.” Zelda shook her head. “Forgive me, no. Upon impact, the lethality of these weapons completely diminishes and only the magic spell will be left. All you have to do is strike them with considerable force. I promise it will not injure them. Once they are frozen, you must do all in your power to reach them and remove the Divine Helms; those are the control panels for Ganon’s mind capture.”

    The several nods that the crowd gave sufficed for general agreement on behalf of everyone for the princess and she walked back out of the room calling over her shoulder, “Everyone, grab a weapon you feel most comfortable with and meet me back in the entrance room.”

    In under ten seconds, Teba found the arrows, snagged a handful of them and sprinted out of the room. As the rest filed out with their weapon of choice, Zelda had just unscrewed the top of a bottle about the size of her head. She urged it into Teba’s wings.

    “Drink some and pass it on.” She added at Teba’s furrowed brows, “It’s an electricity resistance potion. Urbosa.”

    With that, he took a sizable gulp and passed it to the next fighter.

    “And that’s… just about the twelve hour mark.” Zelda glanced out the window where darkness now covered the land. “Everyone, I’m- I’m so sorry, but I cannot stay. I wish you all to know how eternally grateful I am to you, but I must take my leave now. Ganon wishes to steal my power, hence this ‘motivation party,’ and the champions will go straight for me. If I’m not present, they’ll at least try to go through you first to look for me. That way, you have a chance at using the stasis on them and taking the helms.”

    “Of course.” Heads turned to the Zora prince as he took a step towards Zelda. “Take your leave, princess. We will do our best.”

    Before he could get out another word, the castle doors _boomed_.

    Not a single person could staunch their gasp and all heads immediately spun to the doors. They had not opened, but everyone knew what awaited on the other side.

    “I wish you the luck of the Goddess,” Zelda said at last, and raced up the stairs disappearing from sight. “I’ll do all that I can with my power to protect you as you fight!”

     _Boom!_

    The door shook, the winds outside howled and swooped into the room, picking up the ends of the heavy curtains and making them dance.

    “Remember,” Teba called above the noise, “Revali can hit any still target he sees with his damn _eyes closed_ so if we keep moving we’ll have a better chance at avoiding his blows.”

     **_Boom!_ **

    “Everyone drank the electricity resistance potion?” Riju also made her voice heard, standing on her tiptoes to see everyone nod.

    Alright.

    Teba could feel the tension in the room despite being at the front, the rest of the faces out of his line of view. He could _feel_ the energy constrict, _feel_ the hearts pump with dizzying strength, _feel_ the shaking breaths on his back.

    His own heart hammered hard, and he had to focus with all of his might on the moaning wind to rid his mind of those glowing red eyes. The room spun for a second and he took a step back, steadying himself.

    Okay.

    He would see those eyes again, yes.

    But he would do it. He would.

    For Revali.

     **_BOOM!_ **

Both doors, the two of them engulfed in crackling yellow sparks, flew right off the frame and slammed into the back wall of the entrance room.

    And four silhouettes walked in.

    What happened next could only be described as pure and utter _chaos_.

    Without half a second to react, three arrows had already flown straight at the front line and all shields were brought up, the arrows sticking straight into them. The next moment, all the champions had rushed into the room and began their attack.

    What little organization Zelda’s army had rigged up in their formation was instantly torn apart as both sides ran towards each other to engage in combat. The noise of metal swords on metal shields rang in Teba’s ears, almost deafening, and he very nearly couldn’t concentrate on his aim. His four targets were in a constant whirlwind of motion, a beautiful and terrifying dance as each champion fought with elegance and deadly accuracy. Arrows from both sides whizzed by at such speed, he could have been certain they hadn’t passed him at all had his skin not felt the wind brush by.

    Teba could not have said how long they had been fighting. All he knew was that he could see - because he always kept track, always - his fellow fighters’ arrow supply dwindling, and he cursed. They hadn’t even touched the champions once.

    Just then a blur of green waves in the corner of Teba’s eye and when he spun around his heart leaped into his throat.

    At least four Hylians were pinned underneath a thrashing mass of vines.

    The botania arrows.

    “Shit.”

    And that was all he could get out before and arrow struck him in the shoulder and knocked him to the floor. Instantly, the arrow erupted into plant and curled its leafy tentacles around him. Teba yanked his arms against it, but the more resistance he gave, the tighter the vines coiled. Around him, everyone was consumed by battle. No one around to help.

    And then, from behind the hoards of pushing, shouting people, Revali-Blight walked toward him, even, without hurry, all the confidence of a god.

    Again, Teba have another violent tug only to be strapped down further.

    “Hello, _Teba_ ,” he cooed, Ganon’s rumble as deep and as rough as ever.

    Revali’s fingers slipped around an electricity arrows, had it knocked before Teba could register the motion, and pointed it directly at his face.

    “And goodbye.”

    “Wait, Revali, _it’s me_ ,” Teba choked out against the vines that had just begun to slip around his neck. “Come on, it’s _me!_ I know you can hear me, please listen! You have to fight against him!”

    The edges of his vision darkened and he gave one last pull at the vines before becoming entirely entangled. With every limb caught and his breath coming in smaller and smaller gasps, he almost missed the way the Divine Helm’s eyes flickered blue.

    But he didn’t miss it.

    Revali-Blight paused. He lowered his aim. And the scene around them disappeared. Every sound of battle disappeared. Because, to Teba, nothing else in the world mattered as much as when the Revali grabbed his head, stumbling back, the Great Eagle Bow clattering to the floor, and those eyes went completely clear lake blue.

    “…Teba…?”

    It was Revali’s voice.

    The adrenaline in Teba’s body pumped so forcefully the room around him spun.

    “Yes!”

    And wave of feeling, a sea of unrefined emotion, crashed over him, flooding him up to the point where he couldn’t think straight enough to recognize half of them.

    “Yes, Revali, _it’s me_. Look at me-”

    But it would prove to be futile.

    As quickly as the eyes had returned blue, they sparked and swirled again with blood red, and Revali-Blight was grabbing the bow from the ground, snatching another arrow, and drawing it to Teba’s left eye, not giving Teba time to even blink, pulling the arrow and-

     _Shing!_

    Both Teba and Revali-Blight stared at where the arrow had gone. Sticking into the side wall, a thin throwing blade sat beneath it. And before they could turn their heads back to see whom it had been that threw it, Prince Sidon came barreling forwards and pushing Revali-Blight out of the way, far from Teba. Behind the prince came another Zora - one of the ones from the meeting earlier - and kneeled down and began cutting Teba from the vines.

    Teba had not even one second to begin the words “thank you” when a piercing wail penetrated the castle walls.

 _Vah Ruta,_ Teba realized.

    Everyone in the room froze.

    Even Revali-Blight and Urbosa-Blight, the two champions that Teba had sight of.

    And then, when the rest of the room looked to one direction, Teba looked too and found a frozen Mipha, two other Zora standing to the side and holding her helm in their hands.

    And then the other champions were fleeing. Without another strike of the blade or last arrow shot, all three of them retreated out of the castle, out of the barrier, with unnatural speed, disappearing into the pitch black outside world.

    There was only a half beat of silence before Mipha’s stasis ran out and she dropped to the floor. Instantly, Sidon pushed his way through the crowd, skidding and kneeling beside his sister.

    The rest of the crowd, Teba included, stepped closer, but no too close, eager to see but not to intrude.

    Everyone held their breath as Mipha blinked her eyes open, blinking them several more times, squinting, before they widened to the size of saucers, unseeing of anyone around her, and she let out a clear cut shriek.

    “ _Dear Goddess above, dear Goddess, no, no, he’s here, he’s_ **_here_ ** _he’s going to kill us all!”_ And another wild scream.

    Teba’s chest constricted. This could not be happening.

    If Ganon’s mind control could do this to poised, composed, elegant Mipha, then dear goddess, what was happening inside those helms?

    Sidon immediately held her arm.

    “Sister, look at me. Mipha, listen, I promise you’re alright now.”

    Her head snapped up to him with those same burning eyes.

    “He was in my head. _He was in my head_.”

    Teba could see he was not the only one having trouble watching. Around him, people cringed and several looked away or took a few steps back.

    Mipha’s breathing became rapid, her breaths nearly choking her words. “I can’t- I can’t explain what- what happened- what he did-”

    Suddenly he couldn’t stand it anymore. Teba pushed his way to the front, finding the Zora princess and kneeling beside her and her brother.

    “You don’t have to explain anything. Easy. Take it easy. You’re safe now.” Teba looked up. “Some go find some water right now."

    In the corner of his eyes, Mipha shook and clung to Sidon.

    “And a blanket,” he added.

    He heard several pairs of feet rush off but did not see them. All his attention was again on Mipha. On her large, young eyes.

    “Alright, Mipha. You’re going to be okay. Okay? He can’t hurt you anymore.”

    Her eyes snapped up at that, and her expression told Teba she had been deaf to his comforts.

    “He’s still got the other champions, hasn’t he?”

    She looked form face to face, horror dawning on her features.

    “He does!”

    And then she grabbed onto Teba’s shoulders so quickly he didn’t have time to react.

    “ _He’s torturing them!_ ” she screamed.

    Everyone took four steps back, eyes wide, mouths open with many half formed questions, unsure which one to ask.

    “It’s like you are no longer one with your mind - he- he takes it from you. He takes away all of your good memories, your good thoughts, your spirit, and makes you see a world where you can only feel darkness. Where you will never be happy again. Where you are breathing in and out pain every second that you live and you can hardly call it living. He turns your very existence into pain and you can’t _think_.”

    The air must have disappeared from the room. Teba was certain. No matter how hard he attempted to suck in, his lungs still begged for just a sliver of oxygen.

    Around him, more looks were traded but this time mouths stayed closed. No one dared speak.

    Then the pair of zora that had run off returned, one with a cup of water in hand the other with a blanket. Teba accepted it with his best attempt at a grateful expression. By now, controlling his features had become a monumental task.

    “Mipha,” he tried gently as he handed her the cup. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to get the other champions as soon as we can and save them. All we need _you_ to do is drink this water and get the hell home.”

    Sidon nodded eagerly. “Yes, dear sister. Father is worried sick. Please come home now.”

    A half sip of water went down her throat and she shook her head. And Teba was overcome with that same sensation as when he saw Zelda in the head chair of the meeting room. She was small. She was exhausted. She was holding far too much on her shoulders.

    “I need to see Ruta,” she insisted.

    “Yes, okay, of course you can see her.” Sidon stood and helped her to her feet. “But we need to go home now.”

    “What about the princess?” Mipha did not move from her spot. “And the other champions?”

    Sidon was about to open his mouth when Teba stepped forward. “Sidon, if I may.”

    The prince nodded.

    “Mipha, I know for a fact that what would help the princess the most right now would be putting her mind at ease by giving her the knowledge that you are safe and resting at home.”

    She looked on the verge of being convinced, but held back still. Teba’s had to hide his mouth twitching up. Stubborn kid. Reminded him of someone he knew…

    “Please, Mipha,” Sidon gave her a soft push. “This will help her.”

    It worked. Mipha nodded and the left to escort their princess back to the Domain.

    Teba watched them go, satisfaction and the anxiety of the tasks awaiting them warring for dominance in the pit of his stomach.

    One champion down, three to go

 

    Seeing as how there was not a moment to lose on their ever ticking timer, one that would let up soon after the sun rose, those left seated themselves down on the floor of the entrance room (there were simply not enough chairs in the meeting room) to discuss their next plan of attack.

    And with all of them facing Zelda at the front of the room, though an elementary system of raising hands when struck with an idea, any idea at all, they were able to construct a plan to retrieve Daruk’s helm. In fact, they were just finishing it up and preparing to send out the fighters in teams to Death Mountain when Teba heard a strange noise.

    Everyone else seemed to notice as well, and heads craned to look out the window. As it grew louder, coming from every direction, from all around, it reminded Teba of a certain _unusual_ moat, and he was on his feet in an instant. When the noise did not stop, two guards tugged open the doors and the crowd of people stood and hurried to peer out.

    Right where Zelda’s barrier met the ground, Urbosa-Blight stood with arms cast out towards the skies, two golden streaks of light sparking around her open hands.

    “Princess…” It was Ganon’s voice again. “I’m afraid we didn’t agree to any rules. You see, taking the helms from my puppets was not part of the deal.”

    Zelda remained motionless at the door, her eyes burning into the helm on Urbosa’s head.

    “And so, now that you’ve gone ahead and cheated, I deem it perfectly within my right to try a little something of my own.”

    Riju gasped. “He’s going to try to destroy the barrier!” She tugged at Zelda’s arm. “He’s going to use her Fury!”

    Zelda’s reaction was so immediate, so involuntary, that she called out the wrong name. She could only reach a hand out, ready to run, get out the words:

    “ _Urbosa, no!_ ”

    before lightning was shot up into the pink bubble and the world seemed to crash around them.

    The land shook. The castle shook. The barrier flickered in and out. Windows burst and rained glass down on everyone who had been knocked to the floor. Which was, in fact, everyone within the vicinity.

    When the world stilled, Teba lifted his wings from his head and peeked up. From where they lay in the open doorway, they could see Urbosa’s form crumpled to the ground, motionless.

    In an instant, Zelda jumped to her feet and was running, her shoes slapping the stone and dirt and her breath fast. What she did next surprised Teba, and everyone else as well if the slight gasps were anything to go by.

    The princess did not slow in her sprint as she approached her friend. Instead, she ran straight towards her and kicked the helm off her head in a violent swing of her foot. The helmet went flying off behind them and only then did she drop to the floor.

    “Urbosa, wake up,” Zelda choked, hands gripping Urbosa’s shoulders. “Wake up, _please_.”

    For a few terrifying seconds, there was still no movement from the champion. Then her eyes flickered tiredly open.

    “Hello, little bird.”

    Zelda choked again, but as tears came, they slid past a shaky grin.

    “Urbosa…”

    The embrace was immediate, Zelda’s head ducked into Urbosa’s shoulder, both of their breaths audible from where Teba and the others still stood at the door.

    Then Urbosa sat up, wiping dust from her front. After looking back at where the helm had landed, she schooled her face with visible effort, and a slight twitch ran up her arm. She breathed in.

    “Where are the other champions?”

    Zelda glanced back at Teba and Sidon, the latter having returned since seeing his sister safely to the Domain, the both of them in front of the others.

    “Mipha is safe,” she said finally. “We have yet to retrieve the helms from Daruk and Revali.”

    There was not even a half second of hesitation before Urbosa brought herself to her feet, her face resolute.

    “Let’s get on it then.”

    The princess blinked. She stood as well.

    “You- you don’t want to rest? My friend, I really believe you should-”

    Urbosa held up a hand.

    “Princess, listen to me.”

    It was such a firm command that even Teba felt as though he had no right to make a single sound. It was so certain, so sure of itself that he could not imagine a world where these words were not followed by absolute truth. Zelda seemed to feel a similar effect as she clamped her mouth shut and straightened her shoulders, waiting for the chief to speak next.

    “We have no time for anyone to rest,” Urbosa pressed. A storm grew on her face. “We _have_ to free Daruk and Revali as soon as possible. This isn’t like the last one hundred years. The way he’s obtaining power, from the Beasts, from _us_ , it’s-” she cut herself off. The twitch ran down her arm again and she tensed. “Princess, if I can stand, I will do all that I can to help.” And she looked to the crowd at the door. “We all have to.”

 

    Daruk-Blight was next.

    As they already had the plan for him and Vah Rudania, it seemed the natural next step. The plan was this: continuous hailfire from the Rito Warriors on Daruk-Blight, who was now determined to be on the Beast’s upper neck. It was decided that, unlike the fight in the castle, now that he was the only target it would be, hopefully, easier to strike him with a stasis arrow. Once struck down, they would be able to swoop down, much like in the way that Teba retrieved Revali the very first time he saw him, and take the helm off. One the ground of Death Mountain, the rest of the Hylian and Gerudo fighters would draw Vah Rudania’s gaze and sure to follow laser.

    Again, simple enough in theory. But the actual carrying out of it? Only time would tell.

    These thoughts occupied Teba’s mind as he carefully rewrapped his side while he waited for the rest of the Rito Warriors to finish collecting their stasis arrows. Now he was in the entrance room, though it was emptied out as the rest of those heading over to Death Mountain stood grouped outside. So as thoughts about the plan jumped around in his head and the cloth he held refused to fold evenly, he was so preoccupied that he didn’t hear Sidon walk up to him.

    “Oh!” the prince startled as he came closer. “Are you injured?”

    Teba jerked his head up but then looked back down at his work again and grunted. “I’ll be fine.”

    It sounded a little silly as right then a fresh seeping of blood came through the already reddened cloth.

    Teba tied the ends up in a sorry knot and let go of any hope of folding it as neatly as Saki had done. In the corner of his eye, Sidon rubbed his thumbs together.

    “Teba, I do hope you will excuse me for saying this, but you-” he cleared his throat, “you simply cannot go to Death Mountain territory while already hurt. You would be the most at risk of further injury.”

    Teba looked up at him. Looked up at those concerned eyes and tightly locked fingers. Looked at his royal decorations. Earlier, after the first battle, he had seen Sidon approach each of the wounded fighters, Zora or not, and look after them until the royal healers arrived. And Teba wondered how long ago this prince had been handed the responsibility of other’s safety. Of everyone else’s safety. And he wondered why this task was not evenly distributed to the fellow Zora who had accompanied him. Almost no one else, aside from the healers of course, had done anything similar, and Teba wondered if he was the only one who could see the imbalance of duty.

    Teba stood up straighter.

    “Sidon, I appreciate your concern, but the more archers we have, the sooner we get this done, and the sooner we get this done, the sooner we move onto Revali…Blight.”

    He walked past Sidon and had just reached the castle doors when the prince caught him with his next words and reigned him back in.

    “I remember one more thing my sister told me when I was young.”

    Young _er_ , Teba thought but didn’t say.

    “She said Revali was a bit like us, my sister and me, in that she heard he didn’t have a mother. But unlike us, he lacked a father as well. I… just remembered that now because-” he stopped, unsure, as though afraid he didn’t have the permission to voice whatever it had been that he was about to say. “Well, he’s lucky to have you is all,” he setted on, and he offered a small smile. “I’m sure we’ll have him back before sunrise.”

    Teba couldn’t answer. His throat barred off any words and proved stubborn in staying that way. So he chose to nod his thanks and turned to walk out the door.

    He sure hoped so.

 

    Overall, it had been a success.

    Without much flaw in the plan’s execution, the helm was retrieved, Daruk came back to his own mind, and Vah Rudania slowed to a more relaxed pace on the rocky terrain.

    He acted much like in the way that Urbosa did, though he didn’t mention what Ganon had done to them. He only cursed the monster’s name with clenched fists when he took in his surroundings and position. But he was tense, a bit jittery, holding it together because it wasn’t over yet

    And over it certainly wasn’t.

    By now it must have been nearly 4:40 in the morning. No one on the team had slept, and, to Teba’s immense gratitude, no one was willing to until the last champion had been saved

    So that was where they were now

    Revali.

    Unfortunately, they hadn’t had the time earlier to plan for his retrieval like they did Daruk, and by the time they had made it back to Hyrule Castle, a solid plan had still not come into formation.

    As Teba, Sidon, Riju, Yunobo, Zelda, her guards, and the handful of fighters still present and unwounded stood in the entry room, all of them slumped into the benches and propping their heads up on wobbly arms, discusses possibilities of capturing the champion-blight who had the advantage of flight that the majority of them didn’t.

    After a fruitless five minutes, Teba sneaked a glance out the window, out in the direction of Rito Village.

    A cool morning light, the kind only a foggy 5:00 am can provide, was just beginning to scatter over the land. The warrior leader found himself wondering how Rito Village was holding up. Were they scared as he? Saki would likely be worried sick that he hadn’t come back yet, and yet still he had no way of telling her of the situation without leaving, and that was simply not an option. He closed his eyes and imagined a crackling fire in his house with Saki and Tulin sitting there next to him. There was a fleeting touch of what would be the warmth seeping into his bones were the imagined scene real. There was a salmon cooking. Maybe it was a little burnt. Maybe that was okay. Hylia, he could almost smell it.

    “Teba.”

    The dream snaps away as Teba opens his eyes and regards Hyrule’s princess.

    “Pardon me, yes?”

    Zelda gave a quick sympathetic smile as though perfectly understanding of his exhaustion. It wasn’t too far fetched to believe she felt similarly if not more than.

    “Would you be willing to fly up to Vah Medoh to possibly scout out what the best plan of attack would be? We can’t seem to be able to get a good start without a basic visual idea of what we’ll be dealing with.”

    Teba sucked in a cold breath, shocking his lungs and bringing him entirely back to the present.

    _Focus, Teba. No time to daydream._

    “Absolutely.”

    And he flew out the door without another word.

    Outside, the air was even colder and sharper than that of the chilly castle rooms with the dusty stone walls and the empty marble floors. This was almost at a temperature reminiscent of the Hebra Mountains, but how could that be? It was autumn, yes, but the cold nights wouldn’t be here for another few weeks.

    And just as this though entered his mind, just as he passed the bubble of a barrier, just as he entered the thick of the fog that hung around Hyrule field, Teba was snatched out of his track in the air by two unseen talons.

    Before he could move to adjust himself to get a better look or attempt escape, he was tossed and turned upside down, and in that one swift movement, all of the stasis arrows fell from his quiver. He didn’t see them fall. He didn’t see who it was that was carrying him up and up and up, higher than the layers of brumous clouds. He didn’t even cry out, too shocked to make a single noise. And in fact, he had hardly enough time to even _be_ shocked before he was thrown downwards again, skidding on his good side against the rough stone wing of Vah Medoh.

    He had only just begun to pick himself up when an arrow was shot, the source still hidden, between his feet and a mass of vines wrap around his ankles, tying him to the ground.

    Immediately, he whips his head around, eyes piercing the darkness to look for-

    “Hello, _Teba_.”

    Despite a lack of surprise at his captor, Teba stiffened.

    Hylia, no, not again.

    Revali-Blight landed on the stone and strolled easily toward him, a suave aura emanating from him.

    “Out for an evening flight?”

    It was, unsurprisingly, Ganon’s voice. Teba grit his beak. Why had he been using the name Revali-Blight in his head? This was Ganon, dammit.

    Ganon lifted a few golden glowing arrows.

    “I do hope you don’t mind me borrowing these.”

    Teba had no time for games. Despite three of the champions having been restored to their real minds, Vah Medoh’s beam was still aimed directly at Rito Village, ready to strike at the twenty four hour mark when the barrier was not taken down. And the world was beginning to grow lighter with the trace of a rising sun not too far off.

    “What do you want with me.”

    “Right to the chase then?” He gave an imitation of disappointment. “Pity. But I suppose I’ll start with a proposition. Tell me how to take the barrier down and I’ll keep this meatsack alive a while longer.”

    He said nothing more. Teba felt like he’d been hit in the stomach

    “You’ll _what?_ ” he roared.

    Somehow, even with the mask, Ganon was able to give an air of boredom and could be nothing other than a deep glare.

    “I predicted the princess would have let up by now. Unfortunately, it appears she’s taking the cowardly way out.”

    Teba didn’t even think.

    “If she lets you in you’ll kill us all anyway,” he defended. “This way she has time take you out.”

    The darkest of scowls crossed Revali’s beak and Ganon stepped closer

    “Tell me how to open the barrier now.” And he leaned his head closer. “Or this child will bleed until you do.”

    Without giving Teba a moment’s time to think about what that meant, Ganon pulled out Revali’s short blade and drove it deep into Revali’s right shoulder. Blood instantly streaked down his arm and chest.

    Horror and shock paralyzing his heart, Teba pulled against the vines with more power than he knew he possessed, but still the greenery held strong

    “ _Stop!_ ”

    Ganon grinned.

    “Tell me.”

    Shit. Shit shit shit _shit_.

    “I don’t know,” Teba gasped. “I swear to the Goddess that I don’t _know._ ”

    Ganon retracted the blade and dug it still deeper in another spot.

    “That’s funny. That doesn’t sound like the answer I’m looking for.”

    Teba was so lightheaded now it was as though it was he who was losing enough blood to fill a sink.

    “Well?”

    Teba’s heart pounded. He couldn’t take his eyes from the wounds; this was because of him. This was because of _him_. He had to tell him something. Anything.

    “The Great Fairy!” he finally blurted.

    Ganon did not remove the blade

    “Go on.”

    “The Great Fairy possesses the power remove any barrier like the one Zelda has created. She can bless you with this power. Go to her.”

    In fact, Teba knew nothing of the sort. He could only hope that Ganon was as unfamiliar with the Great Fairy’s abilities as he.

    “You’re certain?”

    Teba swallowed. “Absolutely.”

    There was a long pause, and within it, the temperature around them seemed to plummet even further. A violent shiver ran down Teba’s spine. Above him, the light of the stars seemed far away and bleak.

    “Very well,” Ganon said at last. “But if I find this to be false, I’ll have Revali-Blight shoot your head into the castle as a final warning.”

    Teba grunted. “Noted.”

    Instantly, Ganon used Revali’s Gale to shoot off the Beast, and the second he had left the ground, Teba began scrambling for his knife, the one weapon Ganon hadn’t seen.

     _Hurry, hurry, hurry, this is your only chance_

    With unrestrained panic and rage, he began to tear blindly at the vines.

     _Hurry, hurry, hurry_ his mind screamed, _Ganon would be there in minutes, come on, come_ **_on!_ **

_Shing!_

    The last vine was cut and Teba didn’t wait to waste half a millisecond before darting off to catch up. He could only hope that Ganon would not drive Revali-Blight at his top speed as he hopefully didn’t know he was being followed. Because, in complete honesty, there was just no way in Hyrule he’d ever catch up.

_“Do try to keep up, will you?”_

    Teba blinked. The voice echoed in his head once more - it seemed ages since he’d last heard it - and he shook his head to clear it, flapping his wings harder, every muscle in his body burning in protest.

    And then he spied him just below, headed in a beeline for the Great Fairy’s land, and without a second thought, Teba _barrelled_ straight into him, causing them both to plummet. In the short window of Ganon’s surprise, Teba was able to snatch back a stasis arrow from Revali’s quiver, and, pulling it back, aimed for his chest. But Ganon all but yanked the bow out of his hand, clutched Teba’s wings, producing an almost snarl, keeping them both in increasing downwards velocity, the wind screaming past their ears, before they both hit the ground and the world was submerged in black

 

    When Teba wakes it’s to the sound of running water.

    Oh. He smiles. That sound was another in the collection of Rito Village morning noises. He must be home, his sluggish brain supplies.

    His back aches with a murderous throbbing that keeps him lying still.

    Goddess above, what had he done to achieve that?

    So instead of turning, he takes a deep breath and stays lying on his side. A yawn parted his beak as he remembered Tulin would likely be up soon, and Teba woud be on breakfast duty. Saki was probably already up, and the mental image of her frowning over a belt she had been enchanting widened his smile. He remembered this belt. It was already perfect of course, but she complained of its messy designs anyway. Yes, she was probably working on it as he slept. And then Revali would be-

    Teba stopped breathing

    Revali.

    Ganon.

    The helms.

 _No_.

    Teba’s eyes flew open, and the sight he was met with was a kick in the teeth, despite lacking such, after the memory in Rito Village.

    It was not his home. It not his bed. And there was not running water. It was an old mattress and a dark room. The dust on the floor around him an inch thick so that to walk in it would cause a small lint storm.

    Teba sat up, forcing his body past the intensifying pain in his back, and only then did he see Sidon. The prince, who had been sitting quietly on a stone bench next to him, startled at his movement and stood.

    “Oh, Teba! You’re awake!”

    “Is he okay?”

    Sidon blinked, brought his thumbs together.

    “You- you’re asking about Master Revali, yes?”

    Teba couldn’t find the energy to even nod

    “Yes. Of course. Where is he? Is he okay?”

    Sidon’s eyes found the floor. “Well, first, I should tell you…” he trailed off. Then cleared his throat. “Well, Bazz saw you fall from the sky and Harth and Soryne went to collect you. They brought both you and Revali back, and Princess Zelda instructed that you be placed in this guest room to rest.” He gestured to the small space they occupied. “She apologizes for the state of things. There hasn’t been much time to clean the castle up.”

    “Sidon.” Teba’s throat was tight. He couldn’t stand not knowing a second longer. “Revali. Is he okay?”

    Sidon looked as though the question physically pained him, his face pinched tight, and he was silent for a long moment. Too long.

    “Perhaps you should come with me. I believe the princess would like to speak with you.”

 

    Teba prepared himself for a lot of things on their walk down a new corridor. He calculated the possible injuries that could have arisen after their fall from Goddess knows how high up. He imagined Vah Medoh still under the control of Ganon somehow, though the helm must have removed by this point. He even forced himself to digest the possibility that was too terrible to keep in his mind for long. A world with only three champions remaining.

    What he was not prepared for the the door at the end of the corridor to swing open and to be met with two wild eyes.

    Zelda looked Teba up and down, her body trembling from exhaustion or fear, Teba couldn’t tell. Then she grabbed his hand and yanked into the room.

    The first thing that Teba was able to see was that is was akin to a dungeon. It wasn’t the dark, moldy, underground dungeon he pictured in stories. This was simply a room of marble and bars, empty of anyone else from their team.

    And behind one set of bars sat Revali, the helm still secure on his head.

    “What in the world-?” Teba stepped to the cell before he could stop himself. “ _What_ is going on?”

    Zelda was quick to answer, and her words poured out a like a fountain. “We can’t remove the helm. Teba, we can’t remove it and we aren’t even sure why. We- we suspect it is because Ganon is placing the rest of his strength in holding onto his last pawn as he has no more, but it almost doesn’t matter because Ganon still controls him, he still controls Vah Medoh, and we have less than an hour before Ganon makes good on his part of the deal and _burns the towns to ash_.”

    She gulped in a breath of air.

    “Teba, I- I don’t know what to do. I don’t-”

    She looked at him almost pleadingly, and then Teba was caught in a storm of raging emotion.

    _They couldn’t remove the helm? Ganon, that absolute_ **_bastard_** _. And where was everyone else? Why was this on Zelda,_ **_once again?_ ** _And did they truly only have under an hour? Dear Goddess, what were they to do? And Revali._ **_He still controlled Revali-!_ **

    His blood boiled in his veins, every inch of his body heating in his fit of rage.

     _No._ And he could then hear Saki’s voice. _Use your passion in solving the situation, not cursing it. I know you’re angry. Use that anger._ **_For good_**.

    A leveling breath steadied him. Barely.

    “Exactly how much time do we have?” he found himself asking before he had formed the question in his mind.

    “About thirty seven minutes.”

    Okay. Okay. He had a plan.

    Or. Half a plan. And he hoped, hoped beyond reasonable hope, that Revali could finish it for him.

    Teba kneeled before the bars where Revali sat completely still, and stared into the red eyes, taking in a shuddery breath.

    “Revali, it’s me.”

    Ganon, or Revali, or Revali-Blight, whoever it was that sat in the cell, almost flinched back at the words. The room went utterly silent. Teba could hear distant creaking in the other castle rooms.

    He did not stop.

    “I know you can hear me. You need to listen. Revali, come on. I know you can do this.”

    The eyes on the helm dimmed, cooling to a dusty violet.

     _Yes… yes!_

    “Revali, _yes_. Listen to my voice. Come back.”

    The eyes shone out blue, bright and vibrant and clear and- and- and backing away.

    “Revali?”

    “Teba-” it was more of a cough than a word. “The sword.”

    Teba could feel Zelda’s eyes on his back. The tick of a nonexistent clock began sound off in his head.

    “Revali, what are you talking about? What sword?”

    Revali struggled to breathe, his breaths coming in jagged, short inhales. His wings shook to support himself, and Teba wanted nothing more in the world than to open the bars and grab onto him, hold him steady, hold him and make sure that he was really truly there, that wouldn’t just disappear into nothing, that mid mind wouldn’t be warped away.

    “The sword that seals the darkness,” Revali managed. “Use it.”

    Teba looked back at Zelda who appeared just as lost as he.

    “Revali,” Teba said carefully, turning back to face him. “What does that mean?”

    “Use it on-” a cough wracked his body and he came closer with the floor. Teba’s heart wringed itself. “Use it on me. It’s the only way to seal him away for good.”

    And then there was silence. Perfect, dead silence as his meaning sunk in.

    “Revali,” and this time Zelda stepped closer, one hand on a bar. “To use the sword that seals the darkness on a living being, that would kill them.”

    There was a sinking feeling in Teba’s stomach, and the clock in his head ticked louder.

    “There’s no other way,” Revali insisted through labored breaths. “ _Listen_ to me. You _have_ to use it.”

    There was again a long moment of silence. That was _not_ the second half of the plan Teba was looking for. Zelda stared at the blue helm eyes without saying a word, her own eyes lost in thought.

    “You would be willing…?”

    Revali nodded “Without hesitation.”

    Then, slowly, regrettably, the princess turned to Teba, and he instantly hated the apologetic look in her eyes.

    “Teba…”

    “No,” he said firmly. “Absolutely _not_.”

    “Teba, I don’t want this _either_.” The hand that had laid on the bar now gripped it, her knuckle white. “But we’re running out of time, and he’s right. That would work, and we don’t have any other options.”

    Teba balked. “Zelda, you can’t be _serious_.”

    “Teba, I’m so sorry-” she cut herself off. “I- I can have a meeting with everyone else, ask if they have any ideas, but you have to understand, Rito Village, along with every other town in Hyrule, will be shot to dust and debris if we don’t rid Vah Medoh of Ganon’s existence.”

    “Go then,” Teba urged, already walking to the door to hold it open for her. “Go find everyone else. We have thirty minutes left.”

 

    Twenty five of those thirty minutes felt like an eternity. Teba waited in the cell room next to Revali, the helm eyes having turned back to a dusty unresponsive purple, and counted every second they still had left.

    It couldn’t be true. Was it really the only way left to rid Hyrule of Ganon? To use the sword that seals the darkness on the last pawn in which he manifested his energy? It seemed too specific, too perfect, too cruel.

    Too real.

    Because after twenty five minutes, Zelda returned with red rimmed eyes and reported her findings.

    “No one else has any other ideas. I sent message to Gerudo Town and Goron City and Zora’s Domain, but I know we won’t hear back in time.” She took three uneven breaths. “Teba, I’m so sorry, I really am- I just-” a sob fell from her mouth just as she covered it. “I’m so sorry. We have to-”

    A castle guard walked in and held out the darkness sealing sword to her.

    “My princess,” he mumbled, and when she took it with trembling hands, he nodded and slipped back out the door.

    Both Zelda and Teba turned back to Revali, who laid turned on his side, sparks of red light spitting out of the helm.

    Teba swallowed.

    “You’re sure it will kill him?”

    “We’ve… never used this sword on a living being. But I can only imagine…”

    Teba didn’t need her to go on.

    They must have had under two minutes left.

    Everything felt unreal. Teba’s movements were slow, like wading through water. The entire situation was like a dream; slow and hazzy and too bright and certain to stop soon. But it didn’t stop. And neither did the clock.

    “I suppose I’ll… just…” Zelda cleared her throat and gestured toward the cell.

    Her hands shook so violently it looked like she might drop the weapon at any moment. Teba sighed. Loath as he was to make the offer, he knew he would never forgive himself for letting the princess put this on her already tormented conscious as well.

    “I’ll do it,” he said, and held out his wing.

    Zelda blinked at him. She too appeared to move through water as she handed him the sword. She then pulled a key from her coat pocket and opened the cell door.

    “Teba,” she whispered, the word barely there. “We have one minute left.”

    Teba almost didn’t hear her. He was looking at the rising and falling of Revali’s chest. He was looking at the person who had played River Jump with his son and gotten him to smile more in one day than Teba had seen in the past month. He was looking at the person who had saved Rito Village, time and time again, from innumerable raids and attacks. He was looking at the person who was willing to give his far too short life for his homeland without a second’s thought. He was looking at someone who understood his ever burning need to protect the Rito, protect _everyone_ , someone who shared his unending anxiety and fierce loyalty. He was looking at his friend.

    And maybe even-

     _Hylia, screw it._

    He was looking at his son.

    And with shaking wings and blurry eyes, Teba raised the sword above his head and drove it deep into Revali’s chest just as the clock hit zero.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. It's me. (laughs evilly) What can I do for you?
> 
> OH! By the way! In all honesty, "Soar" was a place holder name until I came up with a better one but then it just became the actual name. Now that I've come up with the actual title I want, would it be kind of a weird/shitty move to change it? Opinions are always appreciated ~ you're the readers!


	10. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone
> 
> I know - I KNOW - it's been one hell of a long fucking time. I sincerely apologize for the gaping hole in the updates. Just as I started writing the final chapter, school finals began with final projects and essays and presentations. I also had a job interview (I got the job btw :) and also I was ill and also I've been dealing with some shitty not-good personal stuff. So what I'm TRYING to say is that I have not forgotten about this piece or you. I swear I would have been here if I had time! I hope this chapter mends the pain I put in the last one. I will warn you though, I write hurt and pain and angst. I truly do not know how to write fluff. You'll have to tell me how I did.
> 
> MORE NOTES AT THE END PLEASE READ!
> 
> Aside from that,
> 
> enjoy

     The moment the blade entered Revali’s chest, bursts of blinding purple light shot out from all over his body. The light cut through his skin and exited through a thousand bloody wounds. His arms, legs, chest, back- all of it was decorated with slices through flesh. A black ooze followed and seeped out of the holes; it sludged into a sticky puddle beneath them, smoke coiling above it. And after the ooze came blood. Bleeding through those same wounds, steady streams of red flowed into the puddle below, and it became a swirl of crimson and black. The metallic scent in the air was as thick and heavy as lead, powerful enough to knock Teba over. All around them, as the light again continued to stream, the air screamed, a sharp hissing driving deep into Teba’s ears, puncturing his brain, and while his pulsing temple begged him to use his wings to keep the sound from entering, he could not bring himself to let go of Revali.

    He kept his hands tight on his shoulders, and, staying clear of the still lodged sword, held him to his chest as though afraid he might disappear with the light.

    Because the light did then disappear. As soon as it had exploded into existence, it was zapped away, leaving the room dead silent and dim, and even Teba’s and Zelda’s breath seemed to have stopped.

    Teba’s entire body was numb.

    He could hardly feel Revali’s limp frame against him.

    The significance of the moment was almost lost on him, so monumental and certain to be historical that his head nearly couldn’t wrap all the way around it.

    This was it. Ganon, gone. Forever. Sealed away by the sword. Could it be true? Was he truly, finally gone? If Hyrule’s past was anything to go by, then only time would tell. But, for now, though, there was only one issue that was certainly real and raw and pressing down on Teba with the weight of the world.

    But then Teba was afraid to look. Afraid to make this moment real. Afraid that if he checked for a pulse and found none, then the truth of this situation would come crashing down on him and he might never recover his breath again.

    Could be bring himself to look? Even if the heartbeat was indeed likely long gone by now? Surely this moment would appear before him again and again in countless nightmares to come if he looked and found what he did not wish to see- what he wished more than anything _not_ to see. Could he continue on like that?

    But, to his own surprise, some force willed him to look anyway. He could not have named what this force, and much less tried to fight it.

    Behind him, Zelda’s breath came into his conscious, trembling and shallow enough to rival his own. She stayed a good six feet away, and for that, Teba was grateful. He was not sure he could school his face when he looked and found his answer, whatever it may have been.

    Slowly, carefully, like moving a vase of thin glass, Teba rolled Revali back and placed a hands over the base of his neck. For a moment, he worried that his own racing heartbeat would render him unable to feel Revali’s own, if it existed.

_No, dammit, don’t think like that._

_It had to exist. It_ **_had_ ** _to._

     And it did

_Thump-thump… thump-thump… thump-thump_

Thready, any rhythm thrown out the window, but _there._

    Without another thought, Teba yanked the helm off of Revali’s head - it now came off easily - and the old metal went smashing into the wall. Teba’s body shook too much for him to trust himself to stand, so he stayed kneeled on the floor and held Revali’s face in his hands, thumbs brushing over the fledgling marks.

    “Revali.”

    He waited, but there was no response.

    And in that moment, another wave of metallic scent swept throughout the room, and Teba looked down to see that much of his white plumage was painted in swatches of deep red. By the time they got to a healer, would it be too late?

    The temperature around Teba plummeted.

    Then, just like he always had, just like he always would, his mind switched over to the mentality of a Rito Warrior. Something he could rely on, something that would utilize logic and benefit those in need of his help, something that could push emotion far away enough so that focus seemed somewhat attainable.

    Teba shook the trembling from his legs and forced himself to his feet, bringing Revali up with him, leaning his body against his own.

    “Where are the palace healers?”

    Zelda, who had been clutching the wall as she watched them, not at all caring for the blood and black ooze soaking her shoes, looked up at him and blinked.

    She bit her lip. “All the palace healers were injured in the 12 hour mark attack,” she started hesitantly. “Every one of them that could stand was already attending someone else in critical condition.”

     _Damn_.

    “Right,” Teba grunted, “Where is Miph-”

    He cut himself off. No. No no no _no_. He cringed inwardly. How could he possibly ask something of her right now? After all that she had been through, how could he possibly even think to ask of her what might be the last of her strength?

     _Focus,_ the voice in his head commanded.

    Right.

    So with no palace healers and no Mipha, there was only one place in the world that Teba trusted to take Revali.

    Teba slid the draping form over on his back - and the day they first met, or rather, the day Teba first met Revali, flashed in his mind’s eye. The image of the champion on Vah Medoh’s back that first day, the thought that had run through his head, _How in the world did a child get up here?_ Teba shifted him so that he wouldn’t move too much on the flight over. Time was of the essence, and he didn’t need to go diving after him if he fell off. Neither of them were in the condition for it.

    “Princess,” Teba turned to Zelda, hoping his expression conveyed his equal gratitude and remorse. “I promise I’ll return soon enough to give you a proper thanks for all that you’ve done.”

    He would have added something else but Zelda held up a hand.

    “Teba. You all were the ones who fought, who _kept_ fighting, planned out the rescues, stayed even when it seemed we might lose everything we’d ever know. It’s you I should be thanking.” She glanced at Revali “We’ll hold a proper ceremony of our gratitude. Later.”

    Teba nodded, his head suddenly heavy. “Thank you,” and he readjusted Revali on his back. “We’re going back to Rito Village.”

 

    When Tulin was younger, there was nothing he enjoyed more than when his father swung him around by his arms. Teba would grab under his armpits, Tulin facing inwards with his little wings stretched wide, and spin him in the air, both of them laughing and Tulin giving short bursts of excited cries and neither of them tiring. Teba would have his son in his arms, his smiling, healthy, giggling son, and it seemed as though Teba’s strength would never diminish, that his arms were made of iron, that they would spin until the stars fell from the sky. That was a while ago, but Teba liked to think that he still possessed the same stubborn strength today, the kind that would not deplete, least, not easily. And he worked to prove so every day on the warrior patrols, hauling back stolen goods from enemy camps as many times as needed without complaint. It gave him the satisfying idea, perhaps a bit immature as it was, that nothing could ever tire him. It was silly, yes, but important to him.

    Strength from him ensured protection of the village.

    So it was decidedly disheartening when he had made it to only the Tabantha Bridge when he was forced to land.

    By this time, after a little more than an hour of flying, he was all too aware of the pulsing ache in his wings, of the searing wound on his side that had not only failed to heal, but had ripped open again in the time since last bandaging it, and of the overall soreness in his frame that could have been from any number of things, from exhaustion to a multitude of injuries sustained and not taken care of in the last couple of days.

    Needless to say, it was not the best condition in which to fly home, and least of all with a passenger on his back.

    So he landed at the foot of the bridge, panting and squeezing his eyes shut and shaking, but more so with anger than pain.

     _I should be able to carry him,_ the growl bounced off the insides of his head, _This is_ ** _my_** _responsibility._

    And he cursed his wings for the ache that had only worsened since placing his talons on the frosty grass.

    If he couldn’t get him back to the Felra in time, there was a very real possibility that he would die, after all this, and it would be _all his fault_. And this temperature, he noted as a gust of wind snapped off some frozen reeds below him, was certainly not helping.

    “Excuse me-”

    Teba jumped and whipped his head around.

    There, at their end of Tabantha bridge, scarf - white as the icy grass - swirling around his neck, stood Kass, his eyes a little wide.

    For a moment, neither said a word as Teba’s frozen over brain tried to process what it was seeing. Kass stood still, allowing Teba his space but not stepping away either.

    Then-

    “Kass.”

    He knew Kass. Yes, he was the one always traveling, wasn’t he? Amali’s husband, the one with the accordion? There were memories of his songs floating through the house, through all the houses in the village, light and lively, and of Tulin’s eyes brightening before asking his mother for a dance. His daughters, Cree, Kheel, Kotts, Genli, and Notts, chirping away on the deck, flooding the night air with music as he lay down his head after a particularly long day.

    “Yes,” Kass said, and he did step forward then, eyes raking over the both of them, over the blood pooled at their feet, over Revali’s lolling head.

    “Pardon me for asking, but could you do with a little help?”

    The relief of hearing those words had Teba wanting to melt into the ground. He took a shaky step forward.

    “Yes-”

    Kass put a wing on both Teba and Revali’s shoulders to brace them.

    Oh.

    Teba almost hadn’t seen the world spin when he attempted to move forward.

    When he looked up at Kass, his eyes eyes were frowning, pinched with concern, and he stepped to the side, looping Revali’s other wing around his shoulder.

    “Perhaps we can carry on like this?” He suggested it honestly, despite the fact that there really didn’t seem to be many other choices.

    Teba nodded and rewrapped Revali’s right wing around his own shoulder, “Yes, thank- thank you.”

    Perhaps if Teba had been thinking a bit more clearly, he might have asked why in the world Kass had been out there when it was by order of Princess Zelda that everyone stay in their homes. Or perhaps he might have asked why Kass hadn’t looked in the least surprised when he found the two of them straggling on. Or he might have had the courtesy to explain why they were covered in blood. But he didn’t. By the time they reached Rito Village, after much stumbling on Teba’s part, the only thing he could focus on, and barely that, was placing one talon in front of the other and keeping Revali’s blood crusted wing over his shoulder.

    Then, when they reached the entrance bridge, Gesane ran out to them, wordlessly taking Teba’s place. After that, walking up the bridges to enter the village had never seemed so physically demanding. Each step sent a shock of tingles up his spine and his ribs jabbed at his sides, but surely it must have been the thinning of the late autumn air that made it difficult to take a full breath.

    Either way, he was no less grateful when a few minutes later, he was able to fall into Saki’s arms, and shut his mind to the swirling, tipping world.

 

    He awoke in a low hanging mist of sweat.

    Which was odd, considering a gust of wind cold enough to rival the arctics was rolling under the curtains and into the room.

    The… room.

    His house.

    He was _home_?

    He pushed himself up, one hand holding his head, and peered to his left. But before he could get a closer look to confirm an answer, Saki was there, pressing a cool wet cloth to his forehead, gently pushing him back down.

    “Easy, my love. You’re home.”

    Teba shook his head.

    “What happened? Where is Revali?”

    Saki put a silent finger to her beak and moved her head to the side, revealing the other bed at the opposite side of the room. On it, a figure layed perfectly still, bar the slight rise and fall of his chest.

    Teba slumped back.

    “What happened?” he asked again, closing his eyes and relishing the coolness of the cloth as Saki to continue wipe his forehead.

    “Kass and Gesane brought you both back earlier this afternoon. That was maybe six hours ago.”

    “Tulin,” he said suddenly, eyes flying open. “Is Tulin alright? Is anybody hurt?”

    Saki gave a soft chuckle. “Yes, Tulin’s at Mollie’s, and everyone’s fine.”

    Teba frowned. “What?”

    “You,” Saki said. “Just… you, less than a minute after waking up - after falling _unconscious_ from your wounds - and asking about everyone else’s safety.” She reached up and kissed where she had been wiping. “You’re just…” She waved a wing around, searching for the right word. After a few seconds, she gave up and met his eyes instead. “I love you.”

    “I love you,” he immediately returned, and, like always, smiled at the way her feathers stood on end, her eyes bright and looking straight into his. “I love you so much.”

    “ _Goddess above_ ,” Felra barged into the room, wings raised over her head, words flying off her tongue like sparks from a fire. “I swear to whatever deity can hear me, if either of you pull something like this on me again, I’ll toss you both into Lake Totori. I’m going to have lost all of my tail feathers by the time I’m fifty because of you!” She shook a finger at Teba menacingly. “ _You!_ Just couldn’t wait to throw yourself into danger the second it showed up, could you? With your all powerful sense of responsibility. What about us, huh? Don’t you have a responsibility to stay here keep me from sweating half my body weight from worrying about you?” She turned to where Revali still lay unconscious on the bed. “And _you!_ Don’t even get me _started_ on you. I’ve just about worn a hole in my floor from pacing. My tables and chairs don’t sit evenly now because of you!”

    Teba and Saki shared a sidelong glance and grinned.

    But then Felra stopped. She took in a breath large enough to pop her lungs before forcing it out and wilting into a chair. When she turned her face towards Teba and Saki, Teba could see her braids spewing loose hairs and the dark rings beneath her drooping eyes.

    “When they brought you back, you both looked - and I don’t say this lightly - like you’d been tied to the back of a Lynel, dragged through Death Mountain, and left to wither in the dessert.”

    “So, like shit,” Teba suggested.

    “ _Language_ ,” Felra placed a finger to her beak, her eyes grinning. “We have a minor present.” And she pointed to Revali.

    Teba snorted so hard it stung his throat. At his side, Saki let out a low chuckle and Felra smoothed back her braids, leaning forward with elbows on knees, smiling at the two of them.

    “He’s not awake,” Teba countered.

    “No, I suppose not. But either way, those red marks on his face didn’t wash away with the rest of the blood.”

    Teba’s chest tightened a little at that.

    “…How is he?”

    “Actually, much better than I thought he’d be at this point.” Felra peered over a her patient. “Especially considering we lost just about all of the potions in Rudania’s march across the land.”

    Oh. Right. That.

    “So I haven’t been able to use magic. However,” and she flicked her eyes to Teba, “he has been remarkably resilient.”

    Teba leaned forward.

    “He’ll live then?”

    Every split second that filled the space from his question to the answer felt decades long, and he watched every movement of her eyes, searching for any other answer beneath the words that would come.

    Eventually, there would turn out to be no need.

    “Yes. With some serious rest and a couple gallons of drinking water, he’ll be fine.”

    Teba’s shoulders slumped and he leaned against Saki.

    It was over. _Now_ it was finally, finally over.

    Saki rubbed his arms and kissed his head again, and he leaned further against her.

    “Oh. Well,” Felra stood and took a step towards the door, apparently seeing the scene she had walked in on for the first time. “I should go find out if anyone’s potions survived the march. I’ll be back soon enough.”

    “It’s… pretty late, Felra,” Teba called out to her before she could leave. “Perhaps you shouldn’t bother them.”

    Felra only gave a funny sort of smile, small and soft. “The whole village is awake,” she said. “We’re exhausted, of course, but you both are home. No one’s going to sleep tonight.” And with that, she slipped out the door.

    Only a moment passed before Saki took a deep breath in, matching that of the wind outside, and lifted Teba’s face to her.

    “I’m off as well. I’m going to tell Tulin you’re awake.” And then she added, by way of explanation, “I didn’t want him to see either of you before Felra cleaned you up.”

    Teba nodded, grateful.

    “Just keep an eye on our champion, will you?” She threw him a smile, still bright under the rings beneath her eyes, and then exited.

    Teba leaned back against the wall, exhaling a century’s worth of stress condensed into a few days. Now, the feeling had completely returned to both of his arms, and, testingly, he moved them. They flowed according to his commands, no longer held down by lead weights. His head was now alarmingly silent, so starkly contrasted with what had been an ever present throbbing. And his sides- oh, his sides! He could turn left and right and without the fear of ripping his skin open again. And perhaps most noticeable was the lack of the ice that had been sinking its teeth into his shoulders the past few days, sending chills all throughout his body. And now that it was gone, he realized he’d forgotten what warmth felt like.

    Simple pleasures he’d never considered before.

    So he sat there, wrapping a blanket around himself and taking in the heat, his eyes drooping but still watching Revali on the other side.

    But then once more, Sidon’s words found their way to his head, and Teba found himself wondering… if there had been no parents, dead or gone or- whatever had happened to them- then who had raised this boy? Who had been there for his needs, the basic needs of _every_ child. Who had fed him, comforted him, protected him… loved him?

    Surely, _surely_ , there must have been someone.

    It was a statement Teba wanted desperately to believe, but one he found he could not fully agree upon. There was no proof either way, except for maybe that cold shell Revali always wore. The baffled look as he watched Teba and his family operate smoothly and with smiles when preparing to go to Rodor’s Ravine. The uncomfortability in his face whenever Teba held his shoulders, always looking down.

    And then Teba thought of Tulin. Happy, carefree Tulin, who had grown up with two adoring parents and only their absolute support behind his every choice. He thought of the way Tulin never failed to point out things that he liked; be it a passing tree that grew with the northern winds or a new song from Kass’s daughters, he never seemed to see any reason not to do so, and Teba realised, with a little pride and a little distress, that this came from his upbringing. Teba and Saki had never given him any reason to be afraid for his opinions.

    But Revali never seemed to voice his opinion unless it was one of snide degradation, recoiling in his words just before any true thoughts reached the light of day.

    So then who had taught him this? To be afraid of his true thoughts? Certainly it couldn’t have been…

    And then Teba realized he was gripping the bed frame so tightly there was danger of him snapping it clean in half. So he let go and breathed in.

    Whatever past Revali might have had with family, Teba swore to start fixing it. Right now.

    So he relaxed back into the mattress, pulling the blanket tighter around himself, and blinking up at the stars.

    And for that moment, everything was quiet. Peace fell on the room like the snow padding the rooftop above them. Everything was still.

    Until, that was, Revali woke up.

    The champion gasped and sat upright, and Teba nearly jumped out of his feathers. Before Teba could move to stand, or say a single word, Revali, with unseeing eyes, was already beating him to it, swiping the covers off of himself and scrambling off the bed. The second he placed a foot on the floor and shifted all of his weight onto it, he crumpled to the floor.

    Teba was by his side in an instant, hands secure on his shoulders, steadying him.

    “ _Revali_ , it’s me,” he moved his head into Revali’s line of vision. “Hey, you’re _safe_. He’s _gone_.”

    Two wild green eyes ( _green - green, green, green, and not at all red--_ ) met his, asking what his throat clearly could not. Teba nodded slowly, deliberately.

    “Yes. I am absolutely certain. He is gone. I promise.”

    The desperation in Revali’s eyes lessened, but only marginally.

    “Where is Medoh?”

    Revali’s voice cracked in time with Teba’s chest.

    Goddess above, it seemed lifetimes since he’d heard that voice. And while, to others perhaps, it lacked the snobbish indifference enough to be indiscernible as still belonging to the champion, Teba recognized it. There were moments when he’d thought he might never have heard it again.

    He was quick to answer.

    “Medoh’s here, safe as well.” He pointed out the window, guiding their gazes up to the dark spot against the starry skies. “Waiting for you, I expect.”

    After a moment of silence, Revali nodded, but the movement was rigid, like iron had been poured around his joints. When he still did not speak, Teba was about to suggest the both of them getting off of the floor when Revali asked, with unblinking eyes,

    “What happened?”

    Ah.

    Yes, explaining to him what happened… that was always going to fall on Teba, wasn’t it? Not exactly a job he was looking forward to, but, regrettably, necessary nonetheless. He took a deep breath and let go of Revali’s shoulders, trusting his ability to keep himself upright now.

    “Ganon-” Teba hesitated only a second, then plunged on, deciding stalling wouldn’t lessen any blows. “Ganon was able to possess the Divine Helms and control the four champions. Through you, he controlled the Divine Beasts, cut off all exits from Hyrule, and threatened Princess Zelda, saying that if she did not give up Hyrule Castle and herself, he would demolish all the citizens of Hyrule.”

    The two of them cringed together.

    Saying it out loud like that was sobering, perhaps even more so for Teba, who had tried, and failed, to downplay the whole crisis in his head.

    He was hit with waves of nausea all over again as the pit of his stomach roiled with disgust. And because of this, he nearly missed what Revali said next. Even so, when he heard them, he must have heard them wrong.

    “It’s my fault.”

    And then Teba stopped breathing.

    The air around them dissipated completely. His blood broiled with demands for oxygen that he just _could not_ supply.

    “ _What_.”

    Revali glowered at the wood boards beneath them, a slight shake going up his arms. He tilted his head up to look out the windows at the disheveled village and smashed skyline.

    “I did this,” and with knit brows and fire replacing the forest green of his eyes, his glare deepened. “I _did_ this.”

    Teba couldn’t keep the bite from his voice, even as he heard it come out.

    “And just _why_ , pray tell, do you believe that this is in any way _you_ , _your_ fault?”

    “Teba, look around you!” Revali got up on one shaky knee and threw a wing out at the window. “Hyrule has been all but _trampled_. And he used _us_ to do that.”

    “No, listen,” Teba seethed. “You’re stressing the wrong word there. He _used_ you.”

    “That’s not-” Revali’s eyes searched the ground, his breath coming quickly. “I’m saying we should have been able to stop him- We should have-”

    “There was _nothing_ you could do! Nobody could have stopped what we didn’t know was coming-”

    “ _Exactly,_ ” and now, Revali really did look as though he could have burned the place down with his glare alone.

    But, Teba noted with some level of bewilderment, the rage was not directed at him, despite the heat of the argument. In fact, it almost seemed to be directed at-

    “We weren’t _enough_ ,” Revali pressed. “We weren’t enough the first time, and we weren’t enough now. It’s _never_ enough-- And they told me- they _said_ \- they _said_ I was _never_ enough and--”

    But he clamped his beak shut before he could continue, eyes widening. He stared at Teba, perfectly still, the air around them, perfectly shatterable with even one breath.

    Teba stared back, almost certain he was gaping, a thousand words, a thousand arguments and curses and desires to dispel this illusion on the tip of his tongue, but all he could do, the only thing he could manage with the hopes of conveying his meaning, was wrap his arms around Revali, one holding his head, the other at the base of his back, and pull him close. Slowly, softly, engulfing him with as much heat and stability as he possessed, he held Revali to him, and neither of them spoke. Teba could hear uneven breaths escape Revali’s rigid frame, but he gave no protest, verbal or otherwise, and as the minutes passed, the younger warrior began to loosen, slowly, _slowly_ , melting into Teba, and Teba only tightened his hold.

    The world around them disappeared, piece by piece. Every smell, every sound, every light from the outside - it all faded away as they stayed in that position, their breaths hitching in unison.

    And it all felt so _right_. Like all throughout those weeks since they had found the champions, Teba had been holding in a breath, waiting to to exactly this. Those expressions that Revali thought no one else could see after someone complimented him and _after_ he gave a haughty remark… those expressions were different. If you believed yourself superior to everyone else, why knot your brow and look at the ground with shifting feet? Something was wrong there. And if you believed yourself to be the strongest, most capable warrior, why insist that you could never be good enough? And- and-

    Wait.

    ‘They’ said that?

    Sidon’s words again came to Teba’s mind and a stone dropped in his stomach.

    “Revali?”

    Teba gave his shoulders a light squeeze and pulled him back, and when he moved his hands to cup his face, he found two red rimmed eyes burning a hole into the floor, blinking away the mist lining his lashes.

    “Hey,” Teba gave him a little shake. “Hey, look at me.”

    So with a gaze bordering on skittish, Revali turned his eyes up to him, and Teba could just make out a slight cringe, as though he expected to be shamed or punished for- for _what?_

    And then Revali swiped angrily at his eyes with a sharp breath, his gaze nearly retreating back to the floor, and Teba knew.

    “Revali, this is okay.”

    “No-” his voice came out hoarse and he cleared his throat. “No, it’s not, they said- they said I wasn’t allowed to-”

    He stopped, and after he swallowed, he did not continue.

    An anger that had been bubbling slowly in the pit of Teba’s chest now boiled up the the base of his throat, and the next words were near impossible to choke out.

    “Your parents told you that you weren’t allowed to _cry_?”

    A ghost of a wry smile crossed Revali’s face.

    “They told me I wasn’t allowed to do a lot of things.” He held up the blue scarf. “Didn’t stop me, though.” But then he let the scarf go and his arms fell heavily to his sides. His voice was just barely audible when he said, “But look where that got me.”

    The next few seconds were spent in complete agony for Teba as his brain waged war for which part of this fabrication to tear down first, this elaborate and sickening distortion that Revali’s parents had planted in his head.

    But then Revali began coughing, the sound grating, and when he had finished and leaned more heavily into Teba’s hands, the older warrior’s mind was made up. He decided that Revali, as he was right here, right now, was his first priority. Everything else could come in time.

    Now, the wounds that lined the entirety of champion’s body had begun to drip over the ugly crusted layers of blood, and he was shaking.

    “Revali, listen to me.”

    Revali blinked up at him, but his eyes were glassy and less focused.

    “I swear to the Goddess that I will speak to you about everything that you have just said to me when you are in a more suitable condition to take the brunt of my opinion, but for now, I want you in. that. bed.”

    Without waiting for a response and much less a coherent answer, Teba slipped his arms under Revali’s and lifted him easily onto the mattress.

    “Felra will be back soon to tell us if any healing elixirs survived Rudania’s attack,” he said as he stood and looked out the window, eyes scanning over the new uneven landscape.

    It was going to take some getting used to. It was over the course of many decades that he had looked out the window of his home and seen the same land. It changed, of course, over the years, but slowly, marginally. But whether it was covered in snow or seas of red leaves or crackling dry grass, it was always the same, at the core. That core was something Teba could rely on to ground him, to anchor him to this world with his village and family, when the anxieties rose too high. The same layers of ombre sedimentary rocks, the same trees, the same sunrise and sunset peeking over this distinct skyline. Now, that skyline had been mashed, smushed over to this side and that, and the snow that currently fell from the grey skies trickled into a sizable pit that hadn’t been there the week before.

    Teba sighed.

    All things considered, it was probably not the thing to be getting upset about now, but still, it nagged at him.

    “Aren’t you leaving?”

    Teba turned back to the bed, brow furrowed.

    “I’m staying,” he said simply. Of course he was staying.

    There was a half hearted snort as Revali rolled his eyes up at him. Apparently, he had gathered strength enough to feign exasperation.

    “I hardly think I’ll need supervision.”

    And then Teba almost laughed. Lightheaded from standing up too quickly, and the increasing weight of his eyelids threatening to close off his vision, he really could have laughed at the sheer absurdity of it all. At the fact that “it all” had happened in a matter of weeks. And yet, Revali was still finding ways to make the recent events stretch years long in Teba’s memory.

    The last time he heard those words felt a century behind them.

    “I didn’t say you’ll need supervision,” and Teba found himself smiling, despite himself, “I’m saying I’ll stay. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you try sucking it up for the first time in your life.” He made sure to nudge Revali gently to let him recognize the gentle tease, not missing the way the champion’s feathers bristled, but also not missing the quarter of a grin that came after.

    “I suppose I can allow that,” he finally said. He opened his beak to speak again, but closed it and turned to look out the window instead.

    Teba sat back down on his bed and the two of them shared a moment of companionable silence, their breaths matched.

    Then Tulin burst into the room, took them both in with wide eyes, let out a happy cry and ran up to Revali. He jumped up on him, effectively toppling him over and they both fell down on the mattress.

    “Revali! Revali!”

    Revali protested the tackle but Teba could see the grin in his eyes. Teba coughed loudly.

    “And what am I, chopped liver? Doesn’t your dad get a hug?”

    Saki came in not two steps behind Tulin and instantly held the nape of his neck, gently pulling him off.

    “Darling, _gentle_ ,” she scolded. “The champion has to _rest_.”

    At that, Revali pushed himself defiantly up. “I’m fine,” he sniffed.

    “…Mhm…” Saki sat down next to him and pulled out a container of water from the bag at her side, holding it in front of him. “Drink.”

    Revali scooted back an inch, miffed. “I don’t need it,” he insisted. “I’ve just said - I’m fine.”

    Then Saki glared, pressing the container to him, and in that instant her voice took up the whole room, deep and commanding. “Drink. it.”

    Revali, quickly recovering his expression, drank it.

    Teba covered a poorly stifled laugh with a cough and from across the room, Revali glared at him.

    It was going to be a very long night.

 

    “You know,” Teba said the next day, “Saki and I would be happy to have you here, if you’d like.”

    They were sitting on the ground with Tulin - River Jump papers scattered across the floor like leaves - and losing fantastically to him.

    “If I’d-?” Revali almost choked. “You want _what_?”

    Teba caught his gaze. “Not what _I_ want. I’m wondering if that’s what you want.”

    There was silence and Revali stared at him as though he’d spoken in Greek.

    “Um… Revali, it’s your turn.”

    The two of them glanced down at Tulin who pointed towards Revali’s pencil. Revali nodded and drew a hesitant line towards Tulin’s territory.

    “And just what, if I may ask, makes you think that I would want that?”

    Teba smiled softly at him. “Well, I don’t think it’s _that_ absurd of an idea.”

    Again, there was a silence as Revali twisted the pencil in between the ends of his feathers.

    “You don’t have a house here,” Teba continued, ‘and Saki and I would be more than willing to let you stay here.”

    Revali opened his mouth to speak but was instantly cut off by a high screech. Tulin, who had suddenly leaned over and apparently began listening in, gasped.

    “Revali! You’re staying?” Tulin jumped up, though even when standing, he still didn’t measure up to Revali’s shoulder.

    Revali’s eyes widened. “What-? No, I never-”

    “This is going to be awesome!” Tulin bounced up and down on his little talons, his eyes bright as be began chirping.

    “Tulin, I didn’t say-”

    Tulin ran to the door and poked his head out, calling loudly enough to wake a sleeping Hinox:

    “We’ve got a champion in our family!”

    Revali flushed and looked helplessly back at Teba who held his hands up.

    “Look, I didn’t tell the kid to say that.” But he couldn’t keep the grin from his face anyway.

    Revali snatched up his pencil and drew a deep line just near Teba’s territory.

    “I will _consider it_ ,” he muttered, “if he wants it so desperately. But it would be only until I arrange for a place of my own. And that is only _if_ I take you  up on this.”

    Teba nodded, knowing when to back off.

    “Alright. Okay.” He took up his pencil as well. “I suppose, yes, you’ll want to find a place of your own, eventually. Because getting beat? Under you own roof?” Teba pointed up at the ceiling before crossing out one of Revali’s paths on the game board, rebranding it as his own. “Now that’s got to be embarrassing.”

    Revali gaped back down at the board.

    “Teba, you are going to pay ten times over for this act of treason.”

    Teba laughed and got up, heading towards the shelf where the containers of water were kept. He opened one and ran his hand roughly through Revali’s braids.

    “Sure.”

 

    A few days later, Zelda came to meet with Elder Kaneli and discuss plans for reconstructing any seriously damaged land around Rito Village, which was, in all truth, most of it.

    And when she came, she was flanked by her ever present guards, a _dog_ , which Teba was certain must have been new, and Link.

    So when Zelda and the palace guards sat down in Elder Kaneli’s home and Link stood outside, waiting silently with his fingers locked together, Teba approached him with a smile.

    “Good morning, Link,” he said.

    Link jerked his head up and then offered a small smile himself. He gave a little wave.

    “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” he continued. “Might we take a little walk and chat a bit?”

    Link, despite his silence, seemed pleased, and, if Teba wasn’t mistaken, a bit relieved.

    They headed down the ramps toward Revali’s Landing.

    They talked, or rather, Teba talked and Link gave the occasional head nod or shrug, about as much of the recent events as they could before they reached the deck.

    Revali was waiting there, his back turned to them. When he heard Teba’s voice, he turned around, a slight grin on his face, saying, “I _thought_ you might have gone to the meeting. Hylia knows you’d never miss one single opportunity to help in any possible way you-”

    But then he saw Link and a mild scowl crossed his features.

    “You.”

    From where he stood beside Link, Teba looked over and gave Revali a glare. I f Revali noticed, he pretended not to and instead strode leisurely across the wood planks, head pointed high.

    “I heard you were _vacationing_ elsewhere all these past weeks, yes?”

    Link gave a hesitant nod.

    Revali eyed him from the side. “While we were fighting the resurgence of Calamity Ganon.”

    Teba could not have been the only one who noticed Link cringe, his face creasing and his head lowering an inch.

    Teba was about to refute the simplicity of the statement when Revali spoke up, a little quickly.

    “Don’t blame yourself,” he rolled his eyes but stepped closer to Link. “It’s not like you could have known.”

    Link, for all his stony expressions, blinked, eyes widening a bit. He looked from Teba to Revali.

    “Revali,” Teba said slowly, “might I speak with you for a moment? In private?”

    They stepped over to a grassy mound on the other side of the village.

    “And just what was that?” Teba said the moment they were out of ear shot.

    Revali’s voice was flat. “What was what.”

    “ _That_. You can’t just- look,” he sighed, “the kid’s been through a lot.” Revali gaped and opened his beak but Teba already knew what he would say. “Yes, we’ve _all_ been through a lot,” he amended. “But that’s not an excuse for berating him for something he couldn’t have even known about.”

    “That _entitled_ little knight is-”

    “A friend to the entire land. He saved everyone. Even you.”

    Revali glowered.

    “ _So_ ,” Teba continued, “why don’t you go back there and speak _kindly_ with one of Hyrule’s heroes, hm?”

    He expected another eyeroll, but he was actually surprised when Revali huffed but did just that. Or at least, he went back to the landing where Link stood with his fingers dusting the rails. Teba stayed behind and watched them, ready to drag Revali away if he began spouting the wrong words which, considering the pairing, wasn’t that all that unlikely.

    “I don’t blame you, just so you know,” Revali began. He looked over the railing and off the the Hebra Mountains. “Unlike too many in this world, I find it possible to not put you at the center of every event.”

    From where Teba watched, he saw Link offer a small lopsided smile and shrug.

    The two of them stood there, a few feet apart, looking out at the new horizon, neither saying a word. A breeze ducked under Link’s braids and Revali’s feathers, and Revali let out a heavy sigh.

    “And anyway…” he cleared his throat. “I- suppose I never… _thanked_ you properly for what you did… You relieving Medoh - and me - I mean.”

    He paused.

    There was a long silence. Link kept turning his head just slightly, perhaps watching Revali out of the corner of his eye. Finally-

    “…Thank you.”

    To his side, Link turned his head slowly up to Revali with his mouth slightly open, eyes wide.

    “Yes, you heard me right,” Revali snapped. “Shut your jaw before I take it back.”

    Link obeyed but Teba did not miss the barely concealed grin or the brightness in his eyes.

    Teba sighed.

_Kids._

 

    One morning a few weeks later, Teba nearly fell out of his bed as he shook himself from a nightmare. He sat there, blanks strewn on the floor, panting, breath searing his lungs and every inch of oxygen in the entire world didn’t seem to be enough to gratify him.

    Revali had been in his dream. Or rather, Revali-Blight had been there. And while he pinned Teba down on Vah Medoh and stabbed himself over and over much like he had the night of the battle, Teba had been paralyzed this time, and he watched Revali bleed out, a pool of crimson, as dark and pure as the blood moon eyes, growing around him.

    So when he woke up and found Revali’s bed empty, he felt his entire body shiver.

    Immediately, he looked out the window and up the ramps, searching with racing pulse. But it wasn’t needed. He found Revali, one knee to the ground, at his landing, pulling the winds down from the sky, _just_ about to take off.

    In the early dawn, with a soft violet canvas as their sky, Teba kept his voice down, but audible enough for Revali’s ears.

    “And just where do you think you’re going?”

    Revali jerked around and nearly lost his balance letting go of the Gale. He glared at Teba.

    “Do you always sneak up on people when they’re concentrating?”

    Teba fought both a grin and the roll of his eyes.

    He was here.

    He was _here_. _Alive_. Not bleeding out on the decks of a brainwashed Beast.

    “Do you always leave without telling anyone else?”

    Revali looked away. “I’ve no obligation to inform others of my constant whereabouts.”

    “Well, no,” Teba stepped closer. “But don’t you think it’d be nice for them to know?”

    Revali eyed Teba, his brow furrowed.

    Teba pressed on. “ … So that they know you’re safe?”

    Revali only fixed him with another blank stare.

     “…Why?” he started to say, but stopped when Teba let out a sigh he couldn’t stop.

    This… was going to take a hell of a lot longer than he had imagined.

    But he wasn’t going to stop. He had sworn. And besides, it wasn’t as though his desires to make Revali understand basic family dynamics had worn in the past few weeks. He _wanted_ to.

    “We’ll discuss it later,” he decided on, now at Revali’s side. “So. Where are we off to?”

    Revali stiffened. “‘We?’”

    “Yes, _we._ ”

    Revali opened his mouth but Teba beat him to it.

    “I didn’t say you needed supervision.”

    Revali shut his beak, eyes narrowing.

    “I said I’m coming with you. Revali, I _want_ to come with you.”

    There was a moment of silence as the younger warrior regarded him cooly, but finally the corners of his mouth twitched up.

    “Very well…”

    Then with a sudden gust of wind, he was up in the sky, a silhouette against the strokes of orange that were just beginning to line the tips of the mountain tops. He grinned down at Teba.

    “But do try to keep up, would you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Okay. Okay. Where do I even start?
> 
> First of all, a huge fucking T H A N K Y O U from the bottom of my heart. All of your kudos and comments and bookmarks kept me going. Without them, I don't know if I'd continued - let alone FINISHED - this piece. This is the first fanfiction I've ever posted online and it feels special to me. You all made it feel special to me. Your comments made me laugh and feel good about myself and you kept coming back to read and I don't know how to express my love and gratitude in words. I'll keep trying though :) I swear.
> 
> I hope maybe some of you will come back if I ever post another BOTW fanfiction? I certainly hope to write for this fandom again. These characters... are going to be the death of me.
> 
> IF YOU HAVE NOT BOOKMARKED THIS: I decided to change the title. I'll do this in about a week so that you can still find it if you haven't bookmarked it. You don't have to bookmark it. I just want everyone to know. It's going to be retitled "After the War". Thank you.
> 
> ALSO!! Do you guys have any fic/one-shot prompts for me? I LOVE suggestions. I would always love to come back to these two and write for them if you have any story or drabble prompts...
> 
> And I suppose I don't need to ask if you've seen the trailer for the Breath of the Wild sequel? Does it not look absolutely astonishing?! And I love. the. DARKNESS.
> 
> But I swear to Hylia, if they don't bring the champions back... well. I guess there's always fanfiction, right?


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